With a family
by Cassabree
Summary: What if Baelfire didn' t left Neverland alone? What if Neal and his adoptive sister Lace didn' t left Emma? How does the story change? And who is Lace really?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hey, everyone! This is my first fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it!_

 **Chapter 1: Pilot: And the final battle begins**

 **Present time**

It was raining, when they arrived.

Everyone was in his own thoughts.

Three days ago, Emma had found the perfect house in a small town in Maine. It sounded great. Small, not many visitors, everything in peace. There was no better place for kids growing up in.

Neal and his adoptive sister Lace immediatly knew that this was the place where everyone from the enchanted forest were sent to.

But Emma and the kids didn't. It seemed easier not to tell them what was going to happen. As much as Neal and Lace knew, breaking the curse was just the beginning. So they planned to tell Emma when they had settled down and had gotten an oversight of the town.

And there it was: The sign saying _Welcome to Storybrooke_. Here was the beginning of their great adventure. If you could call it _adventure_.

 **19 years ago**

 _She was scared. Lace knew how reckless Pan could be._

 _So she just had to get out of this cursed island._

 _And Baelfire had a plan. A plan which could mean their freedom._

 _She could get her life back. She was dreaming about going home for so many years now._

 _Bae looked at her. "Let's get out of that island." He smiled and she smiled back._

 **11 years ago**

 _It had been years know since they escaped from Neverland._

 _Lace and Bae had lived for some years with the Cassidys until they weren't able to take care of them anymore so they ran away, because they had heard so much bad things about the forster care system._

 _They also went with Lucy and Neal Cassidy now because those names were more common in this land than their real ones._

 _Living as thiefs and sleeping in a yellow bug wasn't the perfect life but it was a good one. They weren't alone, they had each other._

 _One day while Lace was on her way getting some breakfast, Neal waited at their car. They had stolen it years ago._

 _But when Lace came out of the shop with their breakfast Neal was already in front of the shop. And he wasn't alone. The girl with him had tried to steal their already stolen car._

 _It turned out her name was Emma Swan, she was a year younger than Lace and obviously a thief just like them. And from that moment on it wasn't just the two of them anymore it had become just the three of them. But even that didn't last for long._

 _Neal and Emma were already in love for some time when turned out that Lucy and Neal were wanted for stealing some watches a long time ago._

 _But of course this wasn't enough. A guy calling himself Emmas guardian angel wanted them to leave Emma. To make them listening he showed them that he knew that Neal was Baelfire. But they didn't. They couldn't. Emma had become a part of their family. Whatever Emmas destiny was, her destiny wouldn't change by them staying with her._

 _And all three of them started over in Tallahasee._

 _Where it turned out that Emma was pregnant with Neal's baby._

 **3 days ago**

 _Lace knew that her life was supposed to change._

 _But when she was a child she had never thought about to have this kind of life she had now._

 _Changes were normal for her._

 _She had grown up in the enchanted forest until she as five._

 _When she was ten she ended up in Neverland for four years._

 _And then everything with Emma happened._

 _From the little girl in the enchanted forest to the grown up woman who had a sister-in-law, a nephew and two little nieces._

 _She remembered her former adoptive brother she didn't have seen for years._

 _They were adoptive siblings back in the enchanted forest, so he was obviously in this town. She was so happy to see him again._

 _Thinking about Augusts words, she wondered why he didn't know about her being Lace. Maybe he had never heard of her. You can't know about everyone in the enchanted forest._

 _She packed her bags._

 _Since she was transported out of the enchanted forest she was dreaming of going home. In Neverland she thought they would go back there, but they didn't. With meeting Emma it was the right decision to live in his land and not to go back. But now she was about to go home and she couldn't tell how happy she was._

Storybrooke. _There was home. There was her family. Just like Emmas and Neals._

 _"_ _How are you feeling?", Neal asked._

 _"_ _Great. I'm going home. Finally. And you? I know how you are feeling about your Dad, so…"_

 _"_ _Scared. But also happy about you and Emma. You're going to see your families again. Especially Emma. She is going to meet her parents after she escaped that curse as a newborn. She is going to meet them finally."_

 _Lace smiled at him, hoping it would help him. Facing his father after all those years wasn't easy._

 _"_ _Let's go home.", said Neal. Laces smile became bigger, when she remembered Neals words about leaving Neverland._ Let's do this. Let's go home.

 **Present time**

The new house was blue and had turrets. It was wonderful.

"A castle!", shouted Claire, the youngest. She was six just like her twin sister. Between them were only minutes. "Everything looks like fairy tale in your way.", said Henry.

Emma knocked at the door. The former owner had said they would meet at the house. The door opened immediatly. It was like the former owner had waited behind the door all the time.

The kids made a step back. The old man looked scary with his short brown hair and the stick in his right hand.

Neal stood behind everyone, so noone saw his shocked face. _His father_.

He didn't know what to do, so he just stood there hoping Emme knew what she was doing.

"So you are the new owners. See, normally I just rent the houses, but for you I'm going to make an exception. I just need your names to complete the contract.", he said. He didn't seem to be changed since they saw each other the last time in Neal's opinion. But he hoped he was wrong.

"Neal, Lucy, Henry, Zoey, Claire and I'm Emma Cassidy."

"Emma! What a lovely name!", said Neal's father. It had looked like had woken up from something. Neal's first idea was to curse, but _how_? How could he wake up from something he didn't created? Or _he_ created it.

"Thanks.", said his wife not knowing what was going on.

"Here are the keys. Enjoy your stay, Emma. And of course the rest of the charming family.", he said. _Charming_ , now it was clear: His dad remembered.

His dad made his way to the road, but not without looking at Lace. His face looked like he couldn't understand something.

"Let's go!", said Neal interrupting the scary moment.

* * *

Miles away a little girl read in her favorite book.

When the story ended, she put the book under the pillow.

Protecting not only the book, the little hope she had, from her mother, also the saviour, who was supposed to arrive someday in the little town to save everyone.

She looked up to get a last look at the clock tower before she was going to sleep.

And in that moment the clock moved for the first time in twenty eight years.

The little girl smiled. The saviour was here. The curse was going to be broken. Full of hope the little girl went to sleep.

 _A/N: Please review._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The thing you love most: Setteling down and meeting old faces**

 **Present time**

Lace lay on her bed. When Mr Gold, she knew the name from Emma, left, he had looked at her in this strange way she couldn't identify.

Was something wrong? Couldn't he understand why she was here? Maybe he wondered how she ended up in this world without the curse? But that didn't make any sense. She hadn't know that guy back in the enchanted forest, so why should he know her? Or had he wondered why she, a normal woman from the outside, could enter the town? But that would have meaned, that he knew about the curse. Which couldn't be, right?

She should talk with her brother about this.

It knocked. "Come in.", she said.

The door was opened. It was Emma.

"I just want to say that the kids and I am going to the school to register them. And Neal is looking for food and something to drink."

"Okay. Do you have any other plans today? I would join you searching for a job."

"Yeah. A job. Would make sense. As a bail bonds person I don't have great chances here. I'm back in around two hours, possibly earlier. 'Cause we would just look around town, we could search for the jobs after I came back."

"Great. So, in two hours?", Lace asked.

"In two hours.", Emma answered and closed the door behind her.

Emma and the kids made their way to the school.

Emma registered Zoey and Claie for Kindergarten while Henry was going in the 4th grade.

* * *

Buying the uniforms, Emma spot a back haired woman with a little kid by her side. The woman with short black hair seemed like a strict woman with her pantsuit. The little girl by her side had black her just like her mother and was around Henrys age. The people around them made immediatly a step back. The woman seemed to have something scary, which made the people standing away from her. Not easy for the kid.

"Let's get you into the classes. You don't want to miss a day.", said Emma.

"Mom…", complained Henry.

"Yeah!", shouted Claire.

"You're going to change your mind.", said Henry.

Zoey just grapped her mother's hand. She was too shy to say anything. It was always the same way. Claire talked much, was brave, while Zoey was shy and stayed near her mother. Henry was on his own. Brave, but not as much as like Claire. Claire didn't thought about what she was saying, she just did. Henry thought before he said something.

Emma put Zoey and Claire in Kindergarten and then walked to Henrys class.

The woman, who teached, seemed nice.

She seemed like those sweet elementary school teacher, who couldn't do anything to anyone.

When the teacher turned around and Emma could see her face, she thought immediatly that she had seen that woman somewhere before. But then she just shook the idea away. She had never seen this woman before. Since she was a baby she never had been in Maine again.

"You're new here.", determined the woman. "I'm Miss Blanchard.", she gave Emma her hand.

"Yeah. I'm Miss Cassidy. That's my son, Heny. He's supposed to go in the 4th grade. You're class, right?"

"Yes. Nice to see a new face. We're not getting any visiters often. I haven't seen a new face since… for years…", the woman thought.

"We planned to stay here. Buyied the house at the edge of the town. We choosed the town because it seems a quiet town."

"You're right, it really is a quiet town. I think you made the right choose.", she looked at the clock, "Oh, Henry, why don't you take a seat? We're start in two minutes."

"Okay. Bye, mom."

"Bye, have a nice day!", Emma said, both to Henry and his new teacher.

* * *

Meanwhile, Neal arrived at the new house.

Lace was already waitening for him in the kitchen.

"That guy yesterday, the owner, he seemed like he couldn't understand why I am here or now after 28 years.", she determind.

"He's my father. And I can't understand him either. But the way he talked - _Charming_ \- he _remembers_.", Neal said.

The siblings looked at each other hoping the other one would get an idea, but it didn't happen.

* * *

Regina made her way to the office.

That blonde woman and her kids. They couldn't be here.

Nobody could come to Storybrooke, if she didn't allow it.

It was _her_ curse.

How could she get rid of them? Maybe Sidney could find something.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the beats of the clock tower.

This wasn't possible. The time should be frozen!

She looked up to see that the clock indeed moved. Her curse. It was weakening. She had to get rid of this people as far as possible.

She took her phone.

"Sidney? There are new people in town. I want you to find out everything you can about them. Everything."

* * *

When Emma arrived, she and Lace went to the sheriff station, because this seemed the best job for Emma.

"Hello?", Emma asked.

A brown haired man appeared. "Can I help you?"

"I'm searching for a job and I hoped I could get one here. I have a lot of experience as a bail bonds person."

The man sighed. "Storybrooke is a quite town. One sheriff is enough."

Yeah Quiet town. Maybe there's another job free here, but before she could ask, Lace already had: "Do you know if there any other jobs free?"

"You canask at Granny's, the inn, or at the animal shelter."

"Thanks.", said Lace.

They left the room. "Nice.", said Lace ironly right after the sheriff couldn't here them anymore.

"Hey, he just can't offer me a job.", Emma protected him.

"Emma…", Lace sighed. Since Emma had gotten Henry, she was this protecter person, which was definitly _too_ much in Lace's view.

"So, I'm going to Granny's, the animal shelter is nothing for me.",Lace said. All those animals around here, they would just remind her of her life back in the enchanted forest.

The life she lost all those years ago.

When they entered the inn, after they finally found it, Lace looked around hoping to see a familiar face. She spot two dwarves and Red Riding Hood with Granny, but that was all.

Sad, she sat at the counter with Emma.

"What do you want?", asked Red after a minute, ready to bring them what they would order.

"I hoped I could get a job here.", said Lace.

"Yeah. Another help would be great. My Granny owns the inn so you could just sign one of those old contracts. Name, birthday, signature,..."

She took one from the counter.

"Okay.", Lace said and signed it. This was ging fine. Also working in the inn would help her to find her old adoptive family. She wondered, what happened to them. It had been now over 28 years since she had seen them.

"Thanks. I'm Ruby.", she looked at the contract. "Lucy Cassidy. Nice-", the door opened. Everyone looked at the woman, who had entered. Short black hair, dark brown eyes, scary aura. _The Evil Queen_. There was no way Lace couldn't recognize her.

"Let's get out of here.", she whispered to Emma and stood up. But before she could leave the inn, The Evil Queen stopped here.

"Visitors? That's interesting. See, we don't really get ones.", she said.

"We're not visitors, we moved here. It's a nice town.", Emma said.

Lace just wanted to stop Emma from taking but she couldn't, it would have attracted too much attention. That would be the last they needed.

"Wonderful.", The Evil Queen said with a fake smile. "I'm Mayor Mills. I think we already met at the school in he morning.", she kept her fake smile, but her eyes walked to Lace. Does she reognize me?, Lace thought. No, that wasn't possible. The last time she had seen her, she had been five. That day The Evil Queen had send her personally to this August Lace had later found out, that this had been just three months before the curs had been enacted.

"Yeah. You have a daughter in my son's age."

"Indeed. Now, if you excuse me?", she said and left not waiting for an answer.

"Of course.", muttered Emma.

"What's wrong with that woman?", Emma whispered to her sister-in-law. Lace shrugged.

* * *

Henry rushed into the house.

"Hey kid, calm down.", Emma said.

"You can't believe this, but it's the truth!", he shouted.

He stopped in front of his mother, who had no idea of what he was talking about.

"Everyone in this town is a fairy tale character. They just can't remember this, because they are cursed!"

"Oh, Henry…", sighed Emma. How could he come up with such a stupid idea? Not even Claire would have come up with such a stupid idea and she saw in everything a connection to fairy tales.

"But it's true! The Evil Queen cast a powerful curse to take away everyone's happy ending!", Henry was stubburn.

"How did you get thtat idea?", Emma asked hoping for an idea how to tell him that this idea was crazy.

"Allie told me. She got this book from Miss Blanchard. The book tells everything about the curse."

"Allie?"

"The mayor's daughter."

Emma thought what she could say. Telling Henry that the idea was crazy was definetly the wrong way.

"According to the book the daughter of SnowWhite and Prince Charming is the saviour, who will break the curse!"

Emma sighed again. "Henry…", she didn't know what to say.

"And the saviour is supposed to come back on her 28th birthday. And…", he paused, "And her name is Emma."

Emma looked at him in shock. Now he didn't just have a stupid idea, he also thought she was a fairy tale character. What did he say about the saviour? SnowWhite and Prince Charming's daughter. What a stupid idea.

"So, do you want to say that I am the saviour?"

"Yeah. You are going to bring back all the happy endings!", Henry smiled. His mother got it.

"Okay…", Emma thouht how she could change the topic. "Should we go the docks? I think you and your sisters would want to see town."

"Yeah.", he said and they picked the girls from their room up.

The girls had arrived an hour earlier than Henry.

* * *

Meanwhile Regina got a message from Sidney.

It contained the information about the new people in Storybrooke, she had waited for.

Lucy Cassidy had appeared at the age of 10 along a 14 years old boy out of nowhere 19 years ago.

Regina smiled. With them she had found something to use.

Both of hem got adopted together quickly ran away after the adoptive parents deaths , - There it was. They key to get rid of them. They are still wanted for stealing watches. Perfect.

She took their papers and went stright to the sheriff station.

Allie, who had hid right behind her, took the papers which still lay on the desk. All about Emma. Her mother should never find out that he was indeed the saviour, because she had the bad feeling her mother already knew that the saviour was in town. The time was moving on. She couldn't have missed that.

Quickly she hid the papers in her fairy tale book and grapped the phone. She needed to call Henry to tell him that her mother was onto something.

* * *

Before she had to go to Granny's for her job, Lace visited the school. She hoped to see her once older brother there, but he wasn't. He was supposed to be cursed like everyone in the enchanted forest. So why was he not at school? He was seven. Something was not right. Not only Roland and his father were nowhere to be found, it looked like all the Merry Men were not in Storybrooke. But how?

"Excuse me, can I help you?", asked a voice behind her.

She turned around to see SnowWhite right in front of her.

She recoginzed her immediatly from her little visits in the villages, where she was speaking about hope, regardless what the woman had been through.

The first thing Lace thought of, was the short hair. It changed her in a way, Lace couldn't identify. She just looked… different.

"Oh, no. I was just looking for someone, but it seems like he's not here, so I should better go.", Lace left the school as fast as she could. She didn't want to talk about her past.

Noone wants, she thought. Neal, who never wanted talk about his father and his childhood, Emma, who never said a word about hers and her box with the things she was keeping from her childhood. This was the only thing Lace knew about the box: Memories.

* * *

They had just reached the docks when Henrys mobile phone rang.

"Hey, Allie!", he said.

After that he just listened, his face filled with both anger and scare. Bad combination, something is really wrong, thought Emma.

"Mom! Regina has some papers about Aunt Lace and Dad and just went straight to the sheriff station! Does she have something against them?", asked Henry scared.

"I don't know. I'm going to tell Dad about that.", Emma lied and grapped her phone. Neal had to stop the mayor or their happy life here was over.

* * *

Neal was shocked. He wondered what he could do.

His sister would never end up in prison.

While he was running to the station, he thought about a solution.

But he found nothing, so he called his sister even if she was at work at the moment.

"That's easy.", were Lace's first words about their problem.

Lace had always been the smarter one.

"She is powerful, so you have to defeat her with power. The people here are always shocked, when they hear that we _bought_ our house. Everyone _rents_ his house or apartment here. The owner is always . You can say that he completely _owns_ the _hole_ town. He has power. So we are going to use him. We were able to _buy_ our house that means that our family is important him. Tell him about Regina's plan, that you and I could end up in prison, maybe Emma, too, she knew about the watches, she picked them up from the station - All three of us could end up in prison, the kids in forster care - And we would lost our _great life_ in _Storybrooke_.", Lace emphasized _great life_ and _Storybrooke_.

"Great idea.", Neal said and hang up.

* * *

When Neal arrived at home, his sister and his wife already waited for him at the kitchen.

"The kids are at Granny's with Allie, the mayor's dauhter.", said Emma and sighed. The _mayor's_ daughter. The person' s daughter, who cost them so much trouble.

"Okay. Lace's plan to get help from worked. He got the sheriff to call he owner of the shop, even if every document proved that we were thiefs. And - I don't know what that guy did - the owner denied _everything_. He said he had never heard our names before and that nothing had been stolen from him.", said Neal. He was tired.

"Yes!", shouted Lace happy.

"What' s with the mayor?", Emma asked.

"Left angry and Graham - the sheriff - told her not to make any jokes again.", Neal smiled.

"That looks like we are safe for the moment.", Emma said looking at the laughing Lace. "You can stop, Lace."

"Never." Neal knew that Lucy' s real name was Lace, but Emma didn't. Since Emma had heard him calling his sister Lace, she was thinking that Lace was just her nickname.

So Emma had started calling her sister-in-law unknowingly by her real name, which made the woman happy. The kids did, too, so she had her real name and not a stupid fake name she was bond to until her last day or now - until the curse was broken. Neal, however, loved his new name, so Lace stopped calling him Baelfire and called him only Neal.

While Lace was still laughing, Emma told her husband about the plans of the school to decorate the hospital tomorrow.

 _A/N: So finally a new chapter. I hope you enjoyed. Please review._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Snow Falls: Bringing back happy endings**

 **Present time**

Henry turned around to see the person, who had tipped with his or her finger at his shoulder. It was Allie.

"Look, there is someone in the other room.", she said and pointed on the room behind them.

"Why is he in another room?", wondered Henry loud.

"Let' s find out. Maybe we find out who he is.", Allie said.

They went into the other room and looked at the blonde man with a small scarf on the right side of his chin.

"Prince Charming.", they said together at the same time.

They laughed.

"What are you doing?", asked a voice behind them. Ms Blanchard.

"We wondered who was laying here. So we looked.", explained Allie.

"Looks like his name is John Doe.", said Henry.

"That's not his name. You just call a man like that, when you don't know who they are. Sadly, noone seems to miss him."

"But we know who he is: Prince Charming!", said Allie happily.

"Oh, Allie."

"But he is! And you are SnowWhite!", she protested.

Mary Margaret sighed. "Come, you can still help with decorting the other rooms."

She left the room nd the kids followed.

 **Last night**

 _Allie climbed out of the window. With the tree in front of the house it was easy to get out of the house without her mother noticing._

 _She ran in the direction of the forest._

 _She liked the forest. She felt free there._

 _Already sitting on a bench for around thirty minutes she heard someone coming. Quickly she hid behind a tree._

 _"_ _They are not here. I don't understand why. They are supposed to.", Allie heard a voice say. She had never heard it before and it belonged to a woman, so it was either Henry's mother or aunt._

 _"_ _This was just our third day here, we didn't met everyone yet. Maybe they are just at the other side of the town and not visiting Granny's.", said another voice, a man, probably Henry's father._

 _"_ _My brother is not at the school. He's not here. So the others aren't, too.", said the woman._

 _She searched for someone here? That would mean that she not only knew about the truth, she was from the enchanted forest, too!_

 _"_ _That would mean that they are still in the enchanted fofdst?", Henry' s father asked._

 _"_ _Yeah. If The Evil Queen hadn't sent me through that portal, I would have been in the enchanted forest now. What do you think, was the time frozen there, too?"_

 _"_ _Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know."_

 _It becam silent. They only walked in their house's direction_ _and didn't speak anymore._

 _But Allie had heard enough. Henry's father believed in the curse and his aunt was from the enchanted forest just like his mother! But there was still the question: Were there still people in the enchanted forest? Had people escape the curse?_

 **Present time**

"Mom!", Henry shouted through the house.

"What's up, kid?", Emma entered the corrider.

Next to Henry stood the black haired daughter of the mayor.

"We found your father!" He's at the hospital in a coma!", Henry was full of excitement.

"We think that, when your mother, SnowWhite, reads to him he could wake up.", Allie grapped her backpack and took a book out. On the frond of the book stood: _Once upon a time_.

Allie opened the book to SnowWhite's story. "This story."

"Kids…", Emma looked in the eyes of the kids and knew, that talking further would break their hearts.

"Who is SnowWhite?", she asked instead and regretted it immediatly. What was she doing here? She just hold on this crazy imagination.

"Ms Blanchard.", answered Allie.

Ms Blanchard? The sweet elementary school teacher was SnowWhite, her _mother_? What a crazy idea, that woman was her age!

"Henry told me that my mother is SnowWhite and Ms Blanchard is-"

"The time was frozen until you arrived!", Emma had tried to tell the kids that the curse wasn't real, but Allie had found an excuse. Perfect.

"Sure it was.", said Emma. "So, I'm going to Ms Blanchard and tell her about your idea.", she hoped that when the kids would see that their idea was not working they would stop believing in the curse without any heartbreaking.

"Thanks, Mrs Cassidy.", said Allie.

"Call me Emma."

"Okay.", Allie smiled and left the house where she crossed pathes with Henry's aunt. She had never seen her before, even in the night she just had listened to her voice.

The woman had black hair and hazel eyes.

"Hello, who are you?", she asked.

"Allie, I'm in Henry's class.", Allie introduced herself.

"The mayor's daughter.", she determined. "Why were you here?", Henry's aunt didn't trust her.

"We told Emma-"

"Emma?", that woman was full of prejudice because her adoptive mother.

"She asked me to tell her that way. And we told Emma where her father is.", Allie stayed strong.

"Her father?",the woman laughed.

"Prince Charming. And I know that you and your brother know about the curse. I heard you both talking last night."

The woman looked at her in shock. "What did you hear?"

"Everything. About the boy you're searching for, that you are from the enchanted forest and that there have to be still people in he enchanted forest."

The womans eyes were suddenly filled with fear. She sat down before Allie. "Don't tell that everyone, especially not your mother, okay? I don't want Emma to know that from another person, she should know hat from me or my brother."

"Okay."

"Thanks.", the woman got strong again as quickly as her eyes had been filled with fear.

"So, where is Emma's father? I haven't seen him already. I saw SnowWhite in your school, but he was nowhere to be found."

"He's at the hospital in a coma. But when Ms Blanchard, SnowWhite, reads their story to him, we think, he will wake up.", Allie smiled full of hope. That remineded Lace to SnowWhite and she smiled, too.

Finally they had found her sister-in-laws father, too.

"Who are you?", asked Allie.

"Lucy, or I think you prefer my name from the enchanted forest: Lace.", Lace was still smiling, but Allie's stopped.

"Who's Lace?", she asked. Being shocked, Lace opened her mouth. Did she understand Allie's words right? Allie knew about Emma, but not about her?

Then she remembered that August only proved that he was telling the truth by showing them that he knew that Neal was Baelfire. Not that she was Lace.

But that didn't make any sense. Why should they not know about her? August knew about a kid who lived in the enchanted forest over 200 years ago, the book showed Emma. Why was the adoptive daughter of Robin Hood not in the book? Why hadn't August known about her?

"I am the adoptive daughter of Robin Hood. The Evil Queen send me through a portal in this world just three months before the curse was enacted.", she explained.

"I never heard of you, but Marian was pregnant with your brother in the book.", Allie paused. "Maybe it's because not everything is in the book."

"What?", Lace asked.

"When I checked the stories, Robin Hood had to steal something from the Wicked Witch of the West for Rmplestilskin. But I couldn't find the story in which Rumplestilskin and the Wicked Witch met. But this was specific referred in the book."

"Specific referred?", Allie rolled her eyes. "We're not here to talk about my language. Things are missing in the book. Maybe there's a reason. Maybe noone should know about you."

"Are you sure? Because the connection between the Wicked Witch and Rumplestilskin is referred-"

Allie interrupted Lace: "But not _how_ they know each other.

My theory is that there are reasons why noone should know about some things and the important things - the _unfinished_ stories - are in the book so they can be finished. Cinderella lost her prince, even if Rumplestilkin is some kind of defeated. So she doesn't have her happy ending yet. With her _unfinished_ story in the book the saviour can find out about what her problemis and can bring back her happy ending. The story is _finished_. I guess."

"Interesting theory.", said Lace.

"Yeah, but the question is: Why are you not in the book?", Allie looked at Lace hoping the woman had the answer.

"We will find out."

* * *

"You want me to read to a coma patient?", asked Mary Margaret suprised. Mrs Cassidy had come to pick up her kids and suddenly started up with the idea of reading the a story to the come patient.

"Allie and Henry think it will help him rembmber who he was.", said Emma.

"And who they think he was?"

"Prince Charming."

"And when I am SnowWhite, they think-", she paused. "Me and him…"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I can't just crash their imagination. That would be heartbreaking for them, so it would be easier for them to see that they are imagine by us playing along and - when nothing happens - they don't just have, they _will_ accept the truth. Maybe they will be a bit sad, but there's no heartbreaking, no fights with our and their side of reality.", Mrs Cassidy explained and it made all send for Mary Margaret. He knew that Allie was already in theraphy and didn't come along well with her mother, maybe this was the key to slowly get her back to the reality and away from her own fantasy world. And Henry would never end up in his - or their - fantasy world. He would come along with his mother, the problems Allie had in her life wouldn't even start in Henry's.

"Okay, I will do it."

"So, we are going to talk tomorrow before school."

"That would be good.", Mary Margaret said and Mrs Cassidy went to her children to go home.

She smiled seeing the sweet family going home.

She always wanted to have children.

* * *

Lace had told Neal about her encounter with Allie and what she had found out.

"So noone should know about me?", she laughed.

"If that what Allie thinks is true. But I think there's something about it. This book could help bringing back all the happy endings, because it tells us, what someone's happy ending is."

Lace looked at him with a face which asked _Are you serious?_ Emma had one, too, and he hated it.

"But why are some stories missing, they could help, too?"

"You don't know if they could help. Maybe they don't. Just boring extra stories?", Neal joked.

"Funny.", said Lace ironly.

"And when you are really the key to something?", Neal asked seriously.

"I don't know. When Allie asked me who Lace was, I wondered myself. Who is _Lace_? I know who I am, my name became Lace once, later became Lucy, but I hold on Lace, but is it _really_ my real name? I told you that it is, that's why I hold on Lace, but I was left at the age of two weeks in the middle of the forest. I don't know who my real parents are. I know nothing about me, even if I let everyone think I know exactly who I am."

Neal didn't know what to say. He had no idea how Lace was feeling. They were both lost. A Lost Boy and a Lost Girl, but due to different reasons. He had been abonded by his father, Lace had been left alone. He knew his father and was angry about what his father had done to him.

Lace knew nothing about their parents and probaply just wanted to know who they are. Just like Emma.

"Maybe you will find your parents here."

"Noone remembers, who he is, except for your father and probaply The Evil Queen, and some pople are still back in the enchanted forest. I don't think I will find them soon. And later… I don't know. It's not that easy.", said Lace and stood up from her chair. "Let us do something else. I don't want to think about that anymore."

* * *

Elsewhere were Henry and Allie sitting on a bench at the docks.

"So you're adopted?", Henry asked.

"Yeah. I was just a week old, when my mom adopted me."

"What's with your birth parents?"

"I don't know anything about them. I thought about finding them, but there is still the curse. Ms Blanchard is going to read to Prince Charming today. She wouldn't if noone came up with the idea. We came up with it. You would know nothing if I wasn't here. If I had left to find my birth parents, things woldn't be the same. Maybe I wouldn't be able to come back. So I thought, even a hero has to find his way first. He needs someone who tells him his destiny. That's why I am still here. I want to help to break the curse."

"That's great. I think you're really brave. Every day you have to be in the near of The Evil Queen and you know what she did. But to help my mother to break the curse, you do it. You don't run away.", said Henry and Allie could feel her face turning red. Hopefully Henry couldn't see it."Thanks."

* * *

Emma had hoped for an end of the imagination of Henry and Allie, but that didn't happen. It became worse.

"He woke up!", was the first sentence of Ms Blanchard.

"What?", asked Emma.

"We knew it", said Allie and Henry in unision.

"I mean", the teacher clarified, "He didn't "wake up" wake up, but he grabbed my hand."

"He's remembering!", Allie insisted.

Hoping for a better reason, Emma asked:"What did the Doctor say?"

"That I imagined it," Ms Blanchard practically sighed, clearly annoyed at the implication, "But I'm not crazy. I know it happened."

"So we have to go back. If you read to im again, he will wake up.", said Allie smiling.

"I wished to but school starts in two minutes. We will go after school.", said Ms Blanchard.

"Mom? Can you check on him?", asked Henry.

"I don' t think-", tried Emma, but was interrupted by her son,

"Please?",with his puppy eyes, Emma had no chance to resist Henry. "Okay, I'll do."

* * *

When Emma arrived, some doctors, the sheriff and - of course - the mayor were already there.

"What's going on?", Emma asked.

"John Doe. He' s missing.", explained Graham. Really? Emma was just here to tell the kids later that everything was normal and now this?

"What are you doing here?", Regina had come from the bed John Doe had lied on to Emma and Graham.

"My son wanted me to check on John Doe. What are you doing here?", Emma backfired.

"I am his emergency contact since I was the one who found him.", said the mayor and commanded the sheriff: "Find him."

Then she left.

"Need some help?", Emma asked, because she still needed a job and maybe this was her chance.

* * *

It had worked. Emma was watching the video of the last night with Graham.

"We're looking at the wrong tape.", Emma determined after they had discussed that the only two employees on the floor had seen nothing. Emma pointed on the wall which was shown on the tape. "This is the wall where Henry and his class put on their decorations. If this was really the tape from last night, we would see the banners the kids hang."

Leroy snorted: "You fell asleep last night again."

"You sell me out?", asked the other employee.

"I'm not getting fired for this."

"That's not important right now. Where is the real tape?", Emma cut them off.

On the real tape they could see John Doe walking out of the hospital by his own.

"That was four hours ago.", Emma read from the tape, she pointed on the door through which John Doe left, "Where does the door lead?"

"The woods.", answered Leroy. Oh no.

"Then let's go.", said Emma. She looked at the sheriff. "I think you're going to need some help.

"Let's go.", said Graham and they left the hospital.

* * *

It was already dark and they hadn't find John Doe yet. Emma had callled Neal that he had to pick up the kids. Mary Margaret had joined them after school, just like Lace after work, while Neal watched kids.

Suddenly Graham shouted: "Guys!" He lifted something off the ground. A hospital bracelet, covered in-

"Is that…", Mary Margaret didn't complete the question.

"Blood,", answered Mrs Cassidy.

They were following the trial, which ended at the water line.

Mary Margaret looked around for the guy, who had become so important for her. And she found him lying near the water unconscious. "Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!", she shouted in fear.

"Help's coming," told Graham.

Mary Margaret cradled John Doe to her, who was still unconscious. "No, no, no, no, no!", she shouted. She couldn't loose him.

"Come back to us. Come back to me.", she softly said, before she sarted CPR. And when her mouth came inzo contact with his, he siddenly gasped, he was waking up.

"You saved me.", he murmered, while his wide eyed looked at her. "Thank you."

"Who are you?", she asked and he asnwered: "I don't know."

"It's okay," Mary Margaret immediatly comforted, "You're going to be okay."

She was so happy that he was okay.

Behind her Lace stayed smiling, because her sister-in-law just got her father back, wven if she didn't know it. Just like the woman Lace always had looked up at, got her husband back without knowing it.

* * *

They brought John Doe back to the hospital, as blonde haired woman suddenly ran near them to John Doe's room. "David!", she shouted. "David, is that you?", she was crying. Lace thought about she is. She had never seen her before. But she only knew some people from SnowWhite's and King George's kingdom, because she had grown up in their forests.

"Excuse my ma'm.", said the doctor. "Ma'm you can't be in here. Please - You can't be in here right now.", he tried to get her away from the patient. She sobbed "David" again.

"Please just wait a second."

"Who's that?", Mary Margaret asked confused.

"His wife.", suddenly the mayor stopd behind him. Everyone was shocked about the big news.

"His name is David Nolan and this is his wife Kathryn.", Lace already figured out that the woman had to be Princess Abigail, the former fiancée of Prince Charming.

Kathryn - or the cursed Princess Abigail - came to them. She thanked them all and told them she was so glad to get a second chance with her husband. Lace didn't know what to think of this situation, but she knew who was to blame: The Evil Queen.

The way Emma looked at her mother, Lace knew that her sister-in-law felt sorry for her.

Mary Margaret was so sad. She just lost her love to someone else.

This was proved when the Doctor told them that David Nolan was physically okay, but had no memory of his past life. Every Doctor would tell them that David had to get back to his original life to try to regain his memories.

This had to stop now. Lace had to do something or The Evil Queen would destroy everything they had worked for. They had just saved Prince Charming from his coma but had lost him to one of The Evil Queen's minions again. Everyone in this town was one of her minions.

How could they save Princess Abigail?

Lace remembered that when Prince Charming and SnowWhite came together, Princess Abigail was engaged to someone from her kingdom. Lace had to talk to Allie. Definitely Allie would know who the guy was and who he was here. There was no way Lace would let The Evil Queen win.

 _A/N: So Lace is not in the storybook. I couldn´ t make it that easy for Lace to know who she is by just reading in the I thought about that not everything is in the book, I wondered,too, why not everything should be in the book. I know, the plot. But really? If the Story about Zelena and Rumple would have been in the book and not just the first encounter between Zelena and Robin Henry could have told Regina about her sister in Season 1 already... With the plot wouldn´ t have made sense. So I just took the loophole and here we go..._

 _And now with the whole Kathryn-David-Mary Margaret-Story: Yeah, I´ m going to change some suprised about what´ s coming and please review. I would really like what you think of my story so far._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Price of Gold: Everything has its price**

 **Present time**

Everything just broke down. Not only hearts. When they had finally found John Doe, the mayor just had found his wife through some old tapes. How convenient. Especially for Ms Blanchard. The poor teacher seemed to get some feelings for the man.

And no it was the washing machine. Really? When she had to wash the most things, the washing machine had to break down?

Lace gave Emma the idea to ask at the B&B if there was a laundry in town.

Together they took the clothes in laundry baskets and made their way to Granny's.

"Do you have a laundry here?", Emma asked Red Riding Hood. Lace still didn't know her Storybrooke-name.

"Yeah.", Red showed them the one in Granny's. It seemed like Granny's was something for everything.

* * *

When they entered the laundry they saw a young blonde girl holding pink sheets and crying "Oh no, no, no, no, no!"

"You okay?" Emma asked her, crossing her arms over her stomach.  
The girl gestured to a sheet she was holding up, "The sheets, they're, uh- pink," she blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears.  
"You try bleach?" she asked when the girl lowered the sheet to show a very pregnant figure, "Oh," Emma sighed, immediately understanding. Hormones.  
"Last night I felt contractions," the girl said, absently stroking her stomach.

"And the doctor said that the baby could come any day now."

Not sure of the girl's personal situation, Emma struggled to find the right thing to say, "So…that's great."  
"It's just that, um, when the...," she blinked back more tears, "When the baby comes... no one thinks I can do this," she hanged her head, "No one thinks I can do anything. Maybe they're right," she sighed.  
"Screw them," Emma said immediatly letting Lace think if Emma really knew what she was doing. "People are going to tell you who you are your whole life. You just gotta punch back and say, "No, this is who I am." You want people to look at you differently? Make them. You want to change things, you are going to have to go out there and change them yourself, because there are no Fairy Godmothers in this world." _No Fairy Godmothers. Fairy Godmothers_. Back in The Enchanted Forest, had the girl a Fairy Godmother?

This frozen in zime thing was crazy. Emma's parents were still as old as they had been when she had been born. They were her age!

"How old are you?", asked Lace.

"Seventeen.", she answered.

"I was eighteen.", Emma said.

"When you had a baby?"

"Yeah.", Emma thought about the moment she had found out that she was pregnant with Henry. She hadn't known if she could do this. But she had Neal and Lace. She had a family that supported her. Her boyfriend and his sister who was like a sister to her, too. "If you need help, you can always come to us. We dealed with kids already. And everyone needs support."

"Yeah. I'm Lace and this is Emma. We're the new ones her.", which described them perfect. Noone had ever moved or visited the town before. Which wasn't supprising due to the curse.

"Thanks.", the girl smiled hardly.

* * *

Right after the women arrived home, there was a knock on the door.

Lace opened the door to see Rumplestilskin or Mr Gold here in Storybrooke. He had a small gash on his forehead. Lace wondered how he got that.

He maybe the type of guy who had a lot of enemies due to his behaviour in front of others but he scared people so much that they kept their distance. So who in the whole world would have attacked him?

"Ms Cassidy", he said, nodding at the black haired woman, "Is your sister-in-law here?"

Lace opened the door brighter, while Emma walked to the door.

"Hello, Mrs Cassidy. Look, I have a proposition for you. I need your help. I'm looking for someone."  
"Really?" Emma asked, looking at Lace uncomfortably, "Um…."  
"I have a photo," Gold said, handing Emma a picture. Lace and Emma looked at the photo immediatly recognizing the girl they had met at Granny's just an hour ago. "Her name is Ashley Boyd," Gold continued, "And she's taken something quite valuable of mine."  
"So why didn't you call the police?" Emma immediately questioned, suspicious. Something had to be off. That man didn't make any sense to her.  
"Because uh," he shrugged and smiled slightly, "She's a confused young woman. She's pregnant, alone, and scared. I don't want to ruin this young girl's life, but I just want my property returned."  
"And what is it?" Lace asked Gold, referring to the stolen property. She felt that Emma was suspicious considering The Dark One and Lace knew from Neal that you couldn't trust him.  
"Well one of the advantages of you not being the police is discretion," Gold smiled again, "Let's just say it's a precious object and leave it at that."

Both woman got more and more the feeling that something was off. Lace knew that staying against The Dark One may not be the right decision, but she did it carefully:"It would be easier to find her, when we know what she took away from you."

"We?", he asked, changing the subject, which Lace didn't like.

"Why not? We find her faster when we work together.", she paused. "Furthermore we are not handing the _poor_ girl over to you, we are just going to give you back your _precious object_."  
"When was the last time you saw her?", asked Emma realizing they wouldn't get any information about the object. She was asking a little bit harsh, Lace noticed. Like Lace was starting to cross the line. Neal would have told her that and that she was getting herself in danger, but Lace didn't think of stopping.  
"Last night. That's how I got this," The Dark One pointed to the gash on his forehead. "It's so unlike her. She was quite wound up," he continued, "Rambling on and on about changing her life. I have no idea what got into her. Mrs Cassidy, please just help me find her. My only other choice is the police, and I don't think anyone wants to see that baby born in jail, now do they?"  
"No, of course not.", said Emma. Lace could hear from her voice that she felt sorry for the girl bit she was also angry about the way " " behaved against the girl. In Emma's opinion the girl was not that bad like The Dark one thought. She was just a poor girl who reacted when she was afraid, afraid of " ".  
"So you'll help me then?" Gold asked.  
"I will help her," Emma stated clearly.  
"Grand," Gold added with a smile and left.

* * *

For both women the plan was clear: Neal watched the kids while they went to Granny's because this was the place with the highest chance to find someone who knew something about Ashley.

Lace agonized who Ashley was and what The Dark One wanted the whole way to the inn. But she didn't remember her. That meant that Ashley was from another kingdom. The Enchanted Forest was big. So they would have to help people Lace never heard of or seen before. This wasn't going to be easy.

"So," Emma asked Ruby as they stood outside of the inn while watching a tow truck slowly lower Ruby's car to the street.  
"This boyfriend of hers- you don't think he was involved in her disappearance?"  
Ruby rolled her eyes, disgust in every line of her face, "Uh, that would mean he was involved with her at all, which he isn't. He left her in the lurch right after they found out they were expecting. Hasn't spoken to her since. Like I said- he's a-," Ruby was suddenly distracted from her righteous anger by her car being dropped with a thud on the ground. "Hey- hey- hey, Billy!" she shouted at the mechanic, "Be careful! You almost shattered my wolf thing, Billy," she pouted, indicating a crystal red wolf charm hanging from the car's rear-view mirror, "It's good luck."  
The mechanic smiled and calmed Ruby down, "I'm sorry Ruby, but look- it's fine."  
"Um, Ruby-," Emma attempted to get Ruby's attention back, "What about her family?"  
"Um," Ruby considered for a moment, "She's got a stepmom and two stepsisters that she doesn't talk to."

Lace got it now. A stepmom, two stepsisters - According to the fairy tales in this world - She was Cinderella.

"Look, I don't know what you've heard, but it's wrong. Everyone thinks she's not ready to have this kid, but she's trying. Taking night classes, trying to better herself, trying to get her life together. Can you understand that?", Ruby said.

"Yeah.", said Emma remembering thatvshe was Ashley's age when she found out that she was pregnant with Henry.  
Lace examined Ruby, "You know something, Ruby?" the waitress looked at Lace butvthen then turned back to Emma, "You really care about her? Then maybe you should just stay out of it. She's been through enough already."  
Emma sighed, "I've been through it, too, Ruby, and I can help her," Emma assured her.

Ruby studied Emma for a moment before nodding with a sigh, "Then try her ex."  
"Where can we find him?" Lace asked.  
"He lives with his dad," Ruby told them.

* * *

Meanwhile Neal had gone to the park with the kids. Henry was playing with Allie, while the twins played on their own. But still the four were so near to each other, they could hear the others talking, which meant it was easy for Neal to watch over them.

"So what did you got?", asked Henry.

"What do you mean?", Allie didn't know what he was talking about.

"You thinking about something. I'm sure it's the curse. So did you find someone new's identity?", Henry's clever, thought Allie. Her dirst idea was lying to him because she promised Lace not to tell Emma about who she is, but then she thought that Henry would keep it a secret.

"I talked to your Aunt Lucy. The day befire she was talking with your dad.", she paused. "About the curse. They _believe_."

Henry smiled. "That's great!"

"Your aunt said that she is from The Enchanted Forest and her real name is Lace."

Henrys mouth opened. "She is? And Lace? That's her nickname - that's what she and my parents told us."

"And she's not in the book. Some things are not in the book. I think she's something important.", Allie explained carefully.

"Something important.", repeated Henry. "You mean the key to break the curse?"

"Maybe. But I have no idea how. Your _mom_ is supposed to break the curse. I don't know what your _aunt_ should have to do with that. She has no connection to the curse."

"Yeah.", Henry thought. "What did she tell you about her? What's with my dad?"

"She was adopted by Robin Hood and was sent to this world just three months before the curse was enacted."

"That doesn't make sense. She's just 29."

"Ask her. And your dad. I want to know if he's from there, too."

"You think _both_ my parents _and_ my aunt are from the enchanted forest?"

"Yeah. Could be the explanation why your dad _believes_ while noone else does.", explained Allie.

"Daddy, Mommy and Auntie Lace are from The Enchanted Forest?", asked a voice behind them. The two twins stood right behind them. Allie had no idea who had asked because the identical twins were hardly to differ for someone who knew them for not more than a week. Thinking of their resemblence she noticed the curly black hair was from their grandmother and the brown eyes were from their father.

"Maybe, Claire. Maybe.", answered Henry.

Noticing Allie's confused look, Henry explained:"The brave one is always Claire."

"How?", asked Claire curious.

"When Mom was a baby she was sent from her parents to this world through a magical wardarobe. It's her destiny to break the dark curse which let every fairy tale character forget who they are. And Mom is the daughter of SnowWhite and Prince Charming. Ms Blanchard and Mr Nolan.", Henry explained. When he wanted to the twins about their aunt, Allie had already started to talk. "You gave to keep this a secret. We want your mother to believe and at the moment she doesn't believe us. That's why your aunt doesn't want your mother to know that she' s actially from The Enchated Forest, too. Lace is her real name and she was adopted by Robin Hood. She fell through a portal to this world. About your farther - It's just speculation. We don't know for sure."

Henry looked to his father, who looked at them, confused what they were talking about. But he didn't come, because everything seemed fine. Henry wondered who he was. Or was he from this world just like them?

"So SnowWhite and Prince Charming are our grandparents? That's so cool!", Claire believed them immediatly.

"How do you know?", whispered Zoey suddenly.

"There is this book.", Allie took her backpack and put it out. She showed it the little shy girl. "Everything is in it.", she immediatly corrected herself: "Most of it."

Zoey looked with bride eyes at it.

Carefully, she took it from Allie, sat down and looked through the pages.

"How is Mommy going to break the curse?", asked Claire. She was so excited, she was nearly jumping.

"We don't know yet. But Aunt Lace has to make her believe first."

"It's just about the right time.", said Allie. She was happy about the excitement of Henry's little sister. Together they could do this. The curse would be broken. Soon.

* * *

Emma knocked on the door and it was opened by a young man- probably Sean.  
"Can I help you?" he asked, looking between the two women.  
"Sean Herman?" Emma said in her most serious bails-bond-person voice.  
"Yeah. Who are you?" the young man' s dashed between the two sister-in-laws.  
"I'm Emma Cassidy, and this is my sister-in-law Lucy Cassidy. We're- we're looking for Ashley Boyd. She's in trouble. I just thought maybe she came to see you-," Emma was cut off by the man who had exited a car, which just parked in the garage. He was storming up at them.  
"My son doesn't have anything to do with that girl anymore, so whatever trouble she's in, I am sorry for, but there's nothing we can do to help you."  
"You're the reason he broke up with her," Lace determined, Emma nodding her head, having already come to the same conclusion.  
"Absolutely," Mr. Herman said, almost proudly, "I'm not gonna let my son throw his life away over a mistake."

Lace and Emma gasped. How could that man react like that?  
"But it's ok for the girl to have to deal with it? Because your son obviously had no hand in the 'mistake' she's in, right?" Lace crossed her arms and stood toe to toe Sean Herman' s father. Emma sighed. Lace was never afraid of something. She was always brave. Emma suggested that she had to in her childhood like Emma had to learn how to take care of herself. She had always been on her own since she had been abonded. First by her bioligical parents, then by the Swan's.  
"Miss what are you expecting? Raising a child on a backseat of a car?"

"There are people out there who don't have anything else!", Emma said harsh. She knew this from experience. She had slept several times on the back seat of their old yellow bug. Sadly, they had to replace it after the twins were born.

"That's sad but I don't let that happen to my son.", said Herman and went into his house.

"Dad… maybe we should help looking.", tried Sean. Great that still someone knows what responsibility means, thought Emma.

"It's a waste, Sean.", said his father from the inside. A little minion, thought Lace about his dad.

"Sean, if you want to come, come. Noone can make decisions for you. We think that Ashley wants to run away with this baby. She could be in serious trouble.", whispered Emma.

"She wants to run away with the baby?", asked Sean suprised.

Bit before they could ask something else,his father appeared in the door again and told Sean to go inside, which the boy did. They were really _minions_.

"Look, we gave no idea where she is. I got that great deal-"

"Deal?", asked the sister-in-laws in union.

"What are you talking about?"  
"You don't know?" Herman's eyebrows rose, "Ashley agreed to give up the child. And she's been paid very well to do so."  
"She sold the baby?" Emma was in shock and Lace put the things together. Selling the child - Their enemy wasn't The Evil Queen right now. It was Rumplestilskin. She should have known that The Dark One was their enemy here. He had power here over the little minions like The Evil Queen.  
"You do realize the selling of human beings is illegal?" Emma hissed at Herman.  
"Oh, you make it sound so crass," Herman objected. "I found someone who is going to give that child a proper home," Herman said this in such a clam way - Emma hated the way he thought about this.

"How could you just judge if Ashley is able to provide that?", Emma protect Ashley.  
"Oh look at her," Herman sneered, "She's a teenager, and she's never shown any evidence of being responsible. How could she possibly know how to be a mother?"

"Maybe she is changing her life?", said Lace knowing that everyone sometimes changes his life.

"Everyone thinks that", Herman treated them like they had no idea "I found who will this baby well. Someone who makes sure that everyone is happy."

And then Emma got it. "Mr. Gold."

"Isn't this the reason he hired both of you?", he asked, but Emma wasn't listening anymore. She was so concentrated about what Gold did to Ashley and the baby.

The poor girl just wanted her baby and Gold was about to take it away from her.

* * *

Emma and Lace made their way quickly to Granny's to confront Ruby about the things she hid from them.

Why didn't she just tell them? Lace could have done something. She knew who to trick that guy. Or she hoped that she knew how. When they were threatened to leave Storybrooke by The Evil Queen, it had been easy to get his help, but now it was just them. No Evil Queen, just The Dark One, The Savior, Lace, Cinderella and her baby.

Ruby defended her decision.

Following Red through the dinner Lace recoginzed Red's wolf thing immediatly.

She turned around to see that Red's car wasn't standing outside anymore.

"Where's your car, Ruby?", she asked harsh.

"You sent us to Sean to give her a head start!", Emma determined

"Where is she? Don't let her make the deal with Gold without us.", said Lace.

"She's trying to go to Boston. To disappear there."

"When did she left?"

"Half an hour."

Emma and Lace left the inn as fast as they could. Oh, what did the girl herself into?

When the two sister-in-laws came near tthe town line they found Ruby's car on the side of the road. And Ashley next to it. She was getting the baby.

She protested to go to the hospital in town. She just wanted to leave to Boston, but Emma made clear that they didn't have four hours.

"We aren't going to let Gold take that baby.", she said.

* * *

While Ashley was giving birth to her baby, Emma and Lace confronted " ". Lace definetly knew now, why her brother thought about his own father they way he did. That guy was not trustworthy.

"You're not going to get that kid.", Lace said. "Ashley and I have an agreement. And my agreements are always honored. If not - I'm afraid I have to call the police. And that baby is going to end up in the system. And that would be pity. You didn't enjoy your life in the system, did you _Emma_?", he said. Emma wondered why he emphasized her name in that strange way. Lace on the other side immediatly knew that he was referring to her being the daughter of SnowWhite and Prince Charming, being an orphan because of that stupid curse.

"This is not going to happen.", Emma said. There was no way Gold would get that baby. She was so gappy to have her kids, she would never let Ashley loose her baby.  
"But all I have to do is press charges. She did, after all, break into my shop."  
"Let me guess," Emma sneered right back, "To steal a contract?"  
"Who knows what she was after," Gold replied with a shrug. Lace glanced at him with an angry look.  
"No jury is going to put a woman in jail for trying to keep her child," Lace told him,

"A contact doesn't say much in this case. Or do you think otherwise?"  
"You really wanna start that fight? Because I think you' re more than just a small pawnbroker. Who knows what could come out?" Emma added on.  
Gold gave the women smirk, "I like you, Ms. Cassidy. Mrs. Cassidy. Neither of you are afraid of me, and that's either cocky or presumptuous.", he paused. "Either way, I'd like to have you on my side."

"She can keep the baby?", Emma said a bit harsh.

"Oh not that fast. See, contracts, deals- well, they're the very foundation of all civilized existence, so I put it to you now," he pointed to Lace, "If you want Ashley to have that baby, are you willing to make a deal with me?"

Lace gasped. He wanted a deal with _her_? She thought he wanted to make a deal with The Saviour and not from a little girl from The Enchanted Forest he knew nothing about.  
"What do you want?" she asked carefully.  
"Oh I don't know just yet. You'll owe me a favor," the pawnbroker shrugged.  
"Fine.", said Lace still wondering what was going on with The Dark One.

* * *

As the two sister-in-laws entered the room in which Ashley was. She was holding a tiny baby swaddled up tight in her arms.  
"Hey," they said.  
"What's her name?" Emma asked, bending over to get a better look at the newborn.  
"Alexandra," Ashley smiled, her eyes on her child, filled with joy.  
"That's a pretty name," Emma told her.  
"Yeah. Beautiful.", Lace agreed.  
"Thank you," Ashley looked up at Emma and Lace, "For your help."

"We talked to Gold. You can keep her.", explained Lace to the new mother.  
"Really? How?"

"A new deal."

"Thanks.", Ashley was so happy.  
The sister-in-laws smiled at her remembering the births of the twins and Henry.

* * *

"A deal with my father? Do you know what you got yourself into?", Neal shouted at Lace after she told him what happened.

"Shh. Do you want Emma to hear something?", Lace calmed ger brother down. "Did you want him to get the baby?"

"Of course not. But I don't want you be in trouble, too. This could end bad."

"I know.", Lace paused. "Why do you think he wanted a favor from me and not from Emma?"

"I have no idea. I think noone' s able to understand his reasons."

Lace and Neal looked each other. "I think it' s time to tell Emma.", said Neal.

"Yeah. But let me do it. I'm from her time. I know her parents. I know The Evil Queen. I was the first who knew about the course. I just wish I would have known the princess' name. I think we could have helped her. When we came back. She wouldn't have been through all of this. She would have known the truth since she was _nine_. Not _28_. That would have been easier."

"Do you think we should have told her earlier?", Neal asked Lace.

"No. This is better than _18 with no idea where her parents are_. Or _if_ they are still _alive_. Her father was in _coma_."

Lace looked at her brother once again. "Now or never.", she said and stood up from her chair to go to Emma's and Neal's room.

* * *

Emma was looking at a picture of the family. Every family member was on it. All six.

The little family they once were, wondering were their own parents where, had grown to a sweet, perfect family. Even if the adult' s parents were missing. Emma still wanted to reunite with the family she lost the day she was left on the side of a road. The day she was born. She wondered if her husband and his sister thought the same way. Years ago, Lace had toöd her she knew nothing about hers and she wondered who they are, but there was no chance to find them. However, this was years ago. Henry hadn't been born already.

Suddenly someone knocked at the door, whixh was already open, to get her attention.

"We need to talk.", said Lace. She was thinking that Emma was ready, that this was the right time. They just gave back Cinderella her happy ending.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: That Still Small Voice: Making the saviour believe**

"Is something wrong?", asked Emma. Lace sounded so serious, it scared her.

"No.", Lace said immediatly, but she knew that she was lying and Emmas superpower would tell Emma truth.

"Lace, what is going on?", asked Emma seriously. Yeah. The normal superpower-problem.

"It's complicated. I heared about Allies and Henrys theory about this curse.", Lace paused, which let Emma to say: "Yeah. Crazy imagination."

Lace sighed. This wouldn't be easy.

"Their theory that everyone from the enchanted forest up here - It's true."

"What? Lace, you don't really believe that?", Emma looked at her like she was crazy.

"Emma, it's really true. I'm from there. Ms Blanchard is SnowWhite, Ruby is-", Emma interrupted Lace:" Lace, The Enchanted Forest doesn't exist. Those are _stories_ , they are _imaginations_. You are from _here_."

"Emma, this-", bit Emma didn't let Lace talk further: "Lace! There is no enchanted forest. There is no curse! So please, stop talking! And I want you to stay away from the kids. You would just talk them more and more in their imagination. They need to get out of this. And you' re not helping.", Emma shouted and Lace knew it was wrong talking further. Making Emma believe wasn't working that way. So Lace just left.

Emma couldn't believe how a psychic healthy 29 years old woman could believe in such a crazy imagination. Especially Lace. She always seemed so realistic.

* * *

The next morning Emma still wanted Lace to stay away from the kids, so Lace told Neal to ask Allie about Princess Abigail' s fiancé. So je joined Emma bringing the kids to school while Lace made her way to her work.  
While they were walking to school, Emma and Neal heard sirens. Graham stopped his car in front of them and got out.

"Are you here because of another bad joke of the mayor?", asked Emma.

"No.", Graham said.

"So what's with the siren?"

"To get your attention. I really needed some help with the coma patient. You were the one who noticed we were looking at the wrong tape. So if you still want the job, you can have it."

"Great. Because I still want it.", said Emma smiling. Neal looked at his wife knowing that she was more happy about the fact that she knew better than Graham than getting the job.

"So, I think we should make our way to the station.", Graham said.

Emma looked at her husband: "Can you bring the kids to school alone?"

"Yeah.", he answered. In secret, he was happy that he could ask Allie about Princess Abigail without Emma in his background. After what happened between Lace and Emma, his sister wanted him not to talk about the curse in front of his wife. This would just cause more problems.

* * *

So Emma made her way to the station with Graham while Neal walked further with the kids to school.

Immediatly after Emma got in the car, Henry asked: "Are you and Aunt Lace from The Enchanted Forest, too?"

Neal looked at his kids who looked at him with big eyes. They were curious about the truth. Telling him the truth could cause more and more problems with Emma, but lying was wrong.

"Look, we shouldn't talk about this, because things are not that easy.", he sighed. How should he explain this? Henry would understand, but the twins were only six. "Please don't talk with Mommy about this.", he looked more at the twins than at Henry, because he knew that Henry wouldn't tell anything, but the twins - or Claire - needed special attention in case of secrets. "You're right. I _am_ from The Enchanted Forest just like Mommy and Auntie Lace."

"Who are you? And when Lace ended up in this world before the curse - So why is she only 29?", asked Henry curious. "I'm-", he paused for a little moment scared what it would mean to tell them the truth about him. "I'm Baelfire. And-",

Henry inzerrupted him: "Baelfire? Rumplestilskins' son? That's cool! Um… Who is Rumplestilskin here in Storybrooke?"

" Mr Gold", Neal sighed.

" Mr Gold?", asked Claire. She seemed suprised and scared at the same time.

"But he doesn't know that I'm Baelfire. And we're going to keep it that way for some time.", he searched for an excuse, so he didn't have to tell his kids that he was scared to meet his father as his son after all those yeats. "Because we shouldn't attend to much attention. The Evil Queen shouldn't know that we know the truth."

The kids nodded in union. Siblings, Neal thought. So sweet.

"Okay… About Auntie Lace - Lace and I were at Neverland for some time, which means Lace is some years younger than shevshould."

Their eyes wided.

"Neverland.", Claire repeated excited.

"Neverland is not like you know, Claire.", he said.

"How?", she asked.

"Let' s leave it with different, little one."

* * *

After they arrived at school, Neal immediatly went to Allie to ask her about Princess Abigails fiancé. It turned out his name had been Frederick in The Enchanted Forest and he was a gym teacher at the school with the name Jim.

Now it was only up to Neal and Lace to get them together and Mary Margaret with David. This shouldn't be that difficult, he thought when the ground suddenly shook.

Everyone was shocked.

"What happened?", Neal heard many children asking. They were all scared.

"Everything is fine!", shouted Ms Blanchard through the building to calm the children down. Neal knew from Lace that she was SnowWhite. Emma's mother. His mother-in-law. How crazy thos was. They never had parents and now siddenly Neal and Emma were with them from moment to the other, even if Emma didn't know.

"It stopped. Please go in our classes. No running!"

Something was special about this woman.

She didn't only know how to deal with children, she had something, which made the children trust ger, because they went immediatly in their classes, silent.

Except Henry, his sisters and Allie.

"Mom did something! Something happened!", Henry smiled at his father.

"Yeah. I'm figuring it out and will tell you right after school, okay?", Neal didn't want to endanger the children. That earthquake could just be the beginning, when breaking the curse was just the beginning of the final battle.

And it worked. The children followed the others in their classes.

* * *

As Neal found out, the mining tunnels had collapsed. Many people were already there.

He heard Regina telling the townspeople that she is planning to make the dangerous mining tunnels safe by collapsing them and paving the area and the crowd to stay back.

Seconds later Regina picked something up not wanting to let someone see it. Neal wondered what it was. Had it something to do with The Enchanted Forest? But he couldn't confront the mayor in front of everyone. She would just deny it and Neal would attend her attention. That wouldn't help breaking the curse.

So he went to Emma and Graham, who were closing off the area.

"What's with the mines? Do you think they could collapse again?", he asked wondering if the collapse had something to do with Emma's actions.

"Maybe.", answered Graham.

"We just have to make sure noone comes near of the mines.", said Emma.

Emma's now the Deputy - That's it!, thought Neal. Emma is really changing things.

* * *

"She is weakening the curse! That means she is about to break it. I need to tell her the truth!", Neal complained.

"So she thinks you' re crazy, too.", Lace hold on her opinion.

"Gow many things I have to find so you are okay with me telling Emma the truth, Lace?", Neal asked his sister tired of her stubbornness.

"Only one thing that proves what is really going on here."

"Which could be in the mines."

" We are not going down the mines.", Lace declared.

"I was never thinking of going down there. This is too dangerous. But it's possible that there is something down there. By the way, this is not my idea. It's Allies. She thinks something down there, which her mother doesn't want us to see."

"Of course _Allie_. She is the one who knows the most about The Evil Queen and the things she is trying to hide."

"So, what's the plan?"

"Making sure that Allie and Henry aren't making a mistake.", answered Lace.

"Great plan.", said Neal and he really meant it.

* * *

"So what's the plan?", asked Henry Allie right after they were told what happened.

"There has to be something down there. Something, which my mother wants to hide.

Let's get down there and find prove about the curse."

"How? My parents and my aunt will make sure that I'm not going down there and your mother will do the same."

"My mom is at her office the whole afternoon and you have your sisters to cooe for you. This is going to be easy.", declared Allie.

"Your mom doesn't want you to go to her office this afternoon?", Henry wasn't sure if this was going to to work.

"Yes, but she will think that I'm with you, if I don't come. She won't care. She never really cares. I'm so often alone at home. She doesn't even notice, when I sneak out.", Allie shrugged and Henry felt sorry for her. He had his family, who loved him so much and Allie had only her mom, who was never there for here. It was like Allie was completely alone.

"Then let's do this."

* * *

It wasn't that easy getting his sisters cope for him, because Claire wanted to come with them. But in the end she accepted it, because Allie told her they would be great heroes, who helped to break the curse, if they would stay at home to cope for Henry.

And then they went to the mines.

* * *

It wasn't even twenty minutes ago that Henry and Allie left to the mines, when Regina called Emma to ask her about Allie.

Soon Emma found out that Henry wasn't in his room or at any other place in the house the twins told her.

Gladly Zoey told her what Henry and Allie were planning. Claire called her sister immediatly a traitor, but Zoey didn't care. She thought it was best to tell the truth.

This suprised Emma, because Zoey was normaly so shy. It seemed like Zoey was opening herself here in Storybrooke.

Emma called Neal and Lace immediatly, who had both been at Granny's at that time.

* * *

When they arrived, Archie had already been around.

As it turned out, he was the reason for Allies stubborness. Regina had threaned Archie so he crushed Allies imagination. When he heard that Allie didn't appeard at the mayor's office, he had put one and one together and went to the mines to look for Allie.

They couldn't believe what he did. They had met Archie sometimes at the diber and he always seemed so trustworthy.

In that moment the earth quaked again.

Everyone shouted for Henry and Allie, but Archie was the only one who was brave or maybe stubborn, Lace couldn't decide what he was, enough to run into mines after the kids. Lace and the others shouted after him now, too, but of course it didn't change anything. The mines collapsed and ther was no way into the tunnels anymore. The kids and Archie were trapped.

* * *

With their flashlights Allie and Henry went through the mines.

They couldn't see something special down there until Allie found a piece of glass.

Both observed it, when suddenly the mines collapsed over them. As fast as they could they ran.

After it stopped, they heared Archie shoiting after them.

"Archie! You're here to help us!", Allie shouted happy.

"No. Listen, we have to get out of here. Okay?", he said, much to the kids disappointment.

"You're still against us-", Allie determined.

"Allie, there is no time for that. Allie, Henry,come on!", sad Archie a bit desperate.

"You don't believe us? You'll see!", Allie shoutted and ran back through the mines trailing Henry with ger.

"Allie! Henry! Come back!", Archie shouted after them, but they were not even thinking of coming back. They had to prove that the curse is real.

* * *

It didn't took long until Archie reached them, because they had noticed something shiny in a crevice.

"Be careful!", Archie said to them.

"There is something shiny. But we can't reach it.", Allie explained to Archie.

"This is extremly dangerous.", said Archie still not trying to believe a word. "We have to get out of here."

"But it could be important!", said Henry stubborn.

"But not that important! Henry, Allie, there is no way out!", the kids stopped moving immediatly. _No way out!_ This wasn't good. This was _really bad_.

Suddenly they heard a dog barking.

"That's Pongo! Let's go after him!", Henry said already happy again about a chance to get out of the mines, even if the chance was so small. He just had hope.

At the place, where the bark was coming from, they found an old elevator.

* * *

Meanwhile, Emma and her newest allie, even if she wasn't happy about it, Regina were trying to figure out what to do, while Lace and Neal were talking to the twins.

"I hope you know now how much you endangered your brpther and Allie. You can't let them do something we forbid.", said Neal possible the thousandst time.

"Yeah.", said Claire quiet and Zoey nodded mournful.

"Good. So don't do it again. Okay?", asked Neal to be sure that his daughters had understood.

"But mommy has to believe in the curse to break it! We just wanted her to believe!", defended Claire for the thousandest time.

"Claire. Let us adults do that.", said Lace.

"I am going to talk to mommy after this is over. We - I mean Lace and me - are going to make her believe."

The twins nodded in union.

In that moment Emma came to them.

"We can't reach them. We're going to use explosives."

"What? Is this necessary?", Lace was shocked. When she knew one thing about it explosives it was that they were dangerous. And endangering the kids and Archie more wasn't the solution. It was the complete opposite.

"It's our only way to reach them.", knowing Lace's scepticism about explosives and other things which could endanger someone because of missuse, Emma added: "It won't endanger them. We are just getting a way out for them. They won't be affected."

Lace sighed. Breaking the curse didn't seem to mean _dealing with collapsing mines while people were in it._

* * *

Trying to make the elevator work and getting out of the tunnels, the elevator suddenly shook and fell down.

An explotion. Archie immediatly knew it.

The others were trying to get them out of the tunnels, too. But because noone appeard nor the heard other voices it didn't work.

Sitting in the broken elevator with no chance to get out of the tunnels anymore, Allie said mournful: "I'm so sorry. We just wanted to find prove."

"It's alright. I mean - I'm sorry, too.", said Archie. "I don't think you're crazy.", looking at Henry: "Both of you."

Archie sighed. "It's just… Allie, you have this strong mother, who has a clear idea of which path she wants you to be on. And when you step off - She's scared.", he explained. "It's natural, but it's also natural for you to be free. To think the things you want to think.", he sighed again. "I should have never done this."

"Than why did you?", asked Henry while Allie thought about Archies words. Her mother was scared of what she was doing and thinking? Was she really? No. She just doesn't want the curse to be broken. Allie didn't want to think about her mother being scared for her, because she was sure her morher just cared about her stupid curse. She just wanted to take away all the happy endings. Especially SnowWhites. But something in Allie didn't let go Archies words.

"I'm not a good person.", Archie answered to Henrys question. "I'm not the way I want to be.", he said when suddenly the elevator shook again. They found the elevator. They found them.

"You could be like him. You can be a good person. Cause you are indeed Jimminy Cricket.", Henry said.

Allie was still in her own thoughts. She looked like she was fighting with herself.

"Is everything okay?", asked Henry.

Allie didn't react.

"Allie? Is everything alright?"

Allie looked up and smiled at Henry. "Yeah."

Henry looked at Archie again. He didn't notice that Allie faked her smile.

"Henry. Jimminy Cricket was a cricket and a conscience. I can't be him."

"But before he was a cricket, he needed some to figure out what was the right thing to do."

"It sounds like me.", Archie agreed for the first time.

"Yeah. But it's harder for you. The curse. But this doesn't mean you can't be. Right, Allie?"

"Right.", Allie said even if she didn't really knew what she just agreed with. She was still wondering if her mother, the only constant in her life, really cared about her after she had always been so cold.

And then eventually they saw light. Light from a flashlight!

"What's that?", asked Henry.

"Our rescue.", answered Archie.

"Are you guys okay?", they heard Emmas voice. "Hang on."

Archie lifted Henry to Emma up and then Allie, when suddenly the elevator felt to the ground.

Emma, Henry and Allie shouted his name.

But with his cricket Archie had already hold himself in one of Emmas chippings. Everyone was save.

Being lifted up by the others through the rope around Emma, they were eventually rescued.

The people were clapping.

Lace, Neal and the twins were running to them, while Regina already stood near.

* * *

While Lace, her brother, Emma and the twins were hugging Henry one by one, Allie was hugged by her adoptive mother who was so relieved to see her alright. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't that cold and evil Allie gad thought. But she was still The Evil Queen who had taken away all the happy endings. There was no way Allie would stop helping to break the curse.

After they stopped, Archie took Regina away to tell Regina he wasn't going the path she wanted him to go anymore.

"If you don't stop, you're going to loose your daughter. I know you can't just let her think that you are The Evil Queen, but crushing her imaginations will lead just what happened today. She will constantly rebel and try to prove that her imaginations are real. Stop it and prove that you are good, a good mother, who loves her child."

* * *

The family stood near the mines, when they suddenly heard crickets.

Lace, Neal, Henry and twins smiled. Crickets were here. Obviously _back_. Things were going to be fine. The curse was weakening. Emma would break the curse soon.

* * *

Right after they arrived at home, Neal told his family that they need to talk.

Everyone had a great idea about what.

Lace, Henry and the twins knew it was about the curse.

Emma suggested it was about what the kids did today and it was kind of true.

"Em, I know what Lace told you last night."

"Yeah. But do we need to discuss this in front of the kids now?", Emma didn't wanted her kids to know that her sister-in-law actially believed in the curse. If they knew that Lace didn't think that this was just an imagination, things would get out of hand.

"Em, even how ridiculous it sounds: The curse is _real_. Lace is from The Enchanted Forest, you are, everyone in this town is.", he paused, "And I'm, too."

Emma sighed. "Kids, upstairs. I have to-"

"Em.", Lace interrupted her sister-in-law,"The curse is _real_. Stop doubting that. When did the mines collapsed?", she paused to let Emma think of the answer just to answer the question by herself: "When you became Deputy. In _exact_ that moment, right?", she looked at her. Emma didn't answer. The answer was _Yes_ and Lace knew it.

"You are bringing back happy endings."

"Happy endings? What kind of happy endings?"

"Your father woke up, Cinderella could keep her baby, Archie-"

" _Ashley_ could keep her baby because of _your_ deal with Gold.", Emma was still trying to tell them that they were wrong.

"Okay, but he came to you."

"To get the baby. _To take away_ her happy ending, if you think that Ashleys happy ending is her baby."

"The baby and her husband. But back to the point: You are changing things. You can't tell me that it was just coincidence that the mines collapsed in exact that moment in which you became Deputy. And look", Lace gestured at her brother and her nephew and nieces, "Are you really to tell us that we are _all_ wrong? That Neal and I imagined that we grew up in The Enchanted Forest? The book Allie has: _Your_ name is in it. Because you are indeed the saviour. Neal is in the book, too. He is Baelfire, the son of Rumplestilskin, . Emma, the curse is _real_. And you can't deny that anymore. The things that changed - We, everyone else in your family believes - This isn't just coincidence anymore. And look at us. You now we're not lying. We're not crazy. This _real_. The curse is _real._ Emma, please, just _believe_."

Emma had listened Lace speech intently, annoyed, but intently. She knew that the others weren't crazy, even if she tried, like with Lace last night. She knew her sister-in-law now for eleven years. Lace wasn't crazy, but it just seemed easier. It was easier for her to believe that everyone in ger family was crazy, to deny every prove, so she didn't had to accept that she was the saviour, the _only_ hope for everyone in this town. When she was young, she knew that nobody would count on her. She would fail regardless what she did. Later, with Neal and Lace and then the kids, too, it had just been her family she was able to help. The ones, she wasn't failing, like she did with everyone else.

And now? Her whole family was trying to make her believe in this curse.

Her kids? They were just kids. But Neal and Lace? Her husband and his sister, of whom she knew that both weren't insane, they were in a great mentual stable.

All those _coincidences_ \- They weren't _coincidences_. This was real, even if she hadn't wanted to see it.

"And how I am supposed to break that curse?"

"True love's kiss!", shouted Claire and Henry rolled his eyes.

"True love's kiss?", Emma raised an eyebrow, but stood up.

Looking in her husbands eyes, Emma thought breaking the curse was that easy. Was she really able to break this great curse just by a normal kiss?

And then they just kissed. Completely normal kiss. Nothing different. Nothing seemed like that she just had broken the curse.

Everyone looked at the others.

"Is the curse broken?", asked Claire.

"I don't know.", said Neal.

"Of course it isn't. Things are not that easy. Things are much harder and I _failed_.", said Emma much to Lace suprise, even if her sister-in-law knew her good. Lace just had hoped that Emma finally believed and the curse would be broken.

The kids let theor heads fell down and left to their rooms.

"What now?", Lace asked her brother.

"She's scared to fail everyone, that's why it didn't work. We have to show her that she is indeed bringing back happy endings. Let's work together on your plan to bring Snow and Charming and Abigail and Frederick together."

 _A/N: So, the curse is still not broken. I thought that Emma so easily believes that she can save everyone is a little bit out of character. She wasn´ t left by Neal in my story, so doesn´ t have that much walls up, but believing to save a whole town is too much._

 _When I rewatched the episode I thought why Henry always believed she was that evil in Season 1 and in Season 2 started to think she could change. Regina was so worried in that episode and Henry still thought that she didn´ t care of him. Even Archie told him in the episode that Regina cared. But luckily he knows now that she really cared of him in that time already. The big difference to my story is the point that Allie just has Regina and Henry had Emma, so I am going to let Allie and Regina a little bit more interact in a good way in Season 1._

 _Please review._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Shepherd: Reuniting the others**

Lace found her sister-in-law in her and Neals room.

"Is everything alright?", she asked, even if she already knew the answer. The question just seemed polite and nice. Better than saying nothing.

"No. I screwed up. Everyone is counting on me and I'm screwing up!"

"You didn't screw up. You just need a reason to believe that you can do this. To believe in _yourself_. When we met - You had _trust issues_. And now? You trust us, you believe that you can give your kids their best chance. Let's stand up and try to bring back another hapy ending. We don't have to do something that big like breaking that fast. We can do things slowly."

"You and your speeches.", Emma rolled her eyes.

"I learned that from your mother. Never gibe up hope. She never did. Why should I? Or: Why should _we_?", Lace grinned.

Emma smiled at her sister-in-law: "What's your plan?" Lace really knew how to make people feel better.

"Reuniting Princess Abigail and Frederick."

"Kathryn and whoever?"

Lace nodded. "Jim."

"But we shouldn't forget my parents. To let this plan work, we have to look at both sides and not just one, even if the side with my parents is much easier."

"Yeah. All four have to admit their feelings. They have to know how the others are feeling.", Lace smiled about the way Emma was acting. Her sister-in-law was full of hope that everything was going to be fine. Just like her mother always had been and would be again.

"Okay. The plan is working that way: we are all busy and Neal bumps into Princess Abigail and tells her that we are at work and he has no time to get the kids to school.- We have still to figure out why Neal has no time, but we will. - And then the kods make sure that she meets Jim. They have him tomorrow in the first lesson, so luck is on our side."

"You already figured out a full plan?", Emma asked suprised about the perfect plan.

"Of course. I don't want you to see your Dad with another woman he doesn't even love. This so crazy and stupid."

„Yeah. I just hope it ends soon.", said Emma realising for the first time that she actually had met her parents now. She had searched for them and –

Emma cut off her thoughts. She had searched for her family for so long and now she found her parents. She would finally meet her family. She was a bit scared about how that would be, but the most part of her was just happy. A dream had become true. She had found her family.

"Okay. Perfect. Let's look today for a reason Neal being busy and for parents that they are realising they habe feelings for each other.", Emma said, not wanting to think about the trouble her family was in anymore.

* * *

"But I think he would really love that!", Emma protested.

Her mother was so stubborn. She had been with her father when he woke up and now she didn't want to go to his _Welcome-home-Party_? Maybe because _home_ was with his fake wife, but things were just complicated because of the curse.

"He should be there with his old friebds not with someone he kind of has feelings for while he has a wife.", Mary Margaret said and wondered why she was telling this to this woman she didn't know much about. They were living in the same town, but except for her teaching Ms Cassidys, or how the woman prefered it, Emmas son and finding David together they hadn't really been in contact since Emma had moved into town.

"But you are important to him. And at the moment he really needs someone who means something to him."

"No. This shouldn't be. Look, I really care about him. He means something to me. _But_ he has a _wife_. The best thing I can do is stay away. And you can't change that.", Mary Margaret stood up and left Granny's. This wasn't going like they had planned.

* * *

Because her mom wasn't coming, Emma and Neal went with their kids and Lace alone to the party.

Noone really liked the idea of welcoming Emmas father in his cursed home.

When they arrived, Allie ran to them immediatly.

"You're here! Where's Mary Margaret?"

"Not coming.", answered Henry unhappy.

"Oh. But Charming isn't remembering anything about his cursed life. That means there is still chance.", Allie explained and everyone sighed. Gladly, there wasn't a new problem they had to face.

"Hey.", Emma heard someone say.

It was her father.

"You're the ones who saved me, right?", he looked at Emma and Lace.

"Oh yeah, I guess.",Emma said. She didn't know what to say. And _saved_ definetly meant _saved from the curse_. So _Yes_ would have been the wrong answer.

"You're the only ones I know here.", he sighed.

"You can hide with us.", said Lace.

Charmings shoulders dropped in relief, "That's a relief, thanks.", he said and stabbed one appetizer when he saw a try of food nearby.

Because he had stabbed the appetizer with a sword-shaped toothpick and then tirled it, Allie asked: "Ever used a sword?"

Charming laughed. "Sorry?"

Gladly, David din't thought about Allies question longer. "You're knowing Mary Margaret. Do you know if she is coming tonight?"

"No, she couldn't make it.", Neal answered for Emma, noticing that she didn't want to answer the question.

Charming nodded unhapy. He wanted to be with Mary Margaret. The plan could still work.

* * *

Not much time later, when Kathryn asked for David, they noticed that Charming was gone.

Everyone hoped that he went to SnowWhite.

* * *

The next morning, Emma and Lace made her way first to Granny's to talk to Mary Margaret and for Lace getting ready for her shift, while Neal left with the kids to school or to bump into Kathryn. They knew that she was always going in the morning to Granny's to get coffee, so she had to go exact the way between their house and the school.

When Neal saw Kathryn he grapped Emmas keys, which she had given him before she left, and said loud enough for Kathryn to hear easily: "Oh no, no, no!"

Kathryn turned around. "Is everything alright?", she asked polite. The way she was acting reminded him to the behaviour of a princess, which meant Kathryn was still acting like herself.

"I have Emmas keys. I'm going to be at the animal shelter when she arrives home. I have to bring ger the keys, but the kids - I can't let the kids walk alone to school…"

"I can.", said Kathryn as polite as she was.

Like a princess was to her people, she got involved with Neal now. "The school is on the way to Granny's and I'm just walking to the inn, so it's on my way."

"Really? You would do that?"

"Yeah, of course.", Kathryn nodded.

"Thanks. You're helping so much.", Neal said thankfully.

Then he made his way to the station while Kathryn walked with the smiling kids to the school.

But she stopped in front of the building.

"Mommy and Daddy always bringing us to our classes.", said Zoey. It was the truth and getting Kathryn to do it, too, was easy when the little, shy Zoey asked.

"Okay.", sighed Kathryn and led first Zoey and Claire to their class and then Henry to the gym.

Because luck was their side once again, Jim stood at the door to the gym and noticed Kathryn immediatly.

"Who are you?", he asked interested.

"Kathryn. I'm just bringing Henry and his sisters to their classes because their parents are busy.", she answered and smiled at him.

Both couldn't help but smile at each other and noticing that the other kind of meant something to them they couldn't relate to.

Henry slowly made his way to the changing rooms and let Kathryn with Jim alone.

* * *

"Mary Margaret?", Lace asked faked suprised at the inn, when they saw her.

"Great to see you. We just talked about that we saw you and David last night.", they hadn't really seen them together but noticed David making his way home from the school's direction, so they had put one and one together.

"You did? Oh no.", she said scared. So they were right.

"Relax. But you're indeed such a sweet couple.", Lace laughed and Mary Margaret looked irritated at the young woman.

"Ignore her.", said Emma.

"I just can't ignore him and he can't ignore me, I guess. Things are so complicated.", Mary Margaret explained. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Stay strong and tell him he has to figure out his life. If he wants to be with you, even if it sounds hard, he has to leave Kathryn."

Mary Margaret gulped. But Emma was right. Seeing each other all the time without Kathryn knowing would be just wrong.

In that moment the mayor entered the room.

"Ms Blanchard, may I have a word with you?", she asked and looked first at the cursed Princess and then at the two women in front of her. She already had a great idea of who one of them was. The saviour. Since the family had arrived her curse was weakening. And only the so-called saviour could break the curse.

Emma and Lace stood up and sat at another table, still being able to understand Mary Margaret and the mayor perfectly.

"Of course."

"I wanted to talk to you about my friend, Kathryn. But more specifically, I wanted to talk to you about her husband David.", she looked right in Mary Margarets eyes. "You two don't belong together. He's not yours, he's taken. Find someone else."

"I haven't done anything.", Mary Margaret defended herself.

"Really? So he just left his wife?", Regina raised her eyebrows thinking that Mary Margaret was trying to lie.

"He did what?", Mary Margaret asked suprised, while on the other table, Emma and Lace smiled secretly.

"You don't know?"

Mary Margaret shook her head.

"But I suspect, soon you will. So listen carefully, dear. It's in your best interest. _Stay away_. He is not in a stable state. He doesn't know who he is or what he is doing and you are this close to recking multiple lives.", Regina paused. "So before you do something that can't be undone,let him remember who he was." And with that words Regina left.

Emma and Lace sat next to Mary Margaret as fast as they could.

"Don't listen to her.", Lace as serious as she could. "The only three thing you should think of is: What is right is for him? And what does he want. And obviously, what do you want? But the last questions answer is kind of ovious."

Mary Margaret nodded. "I have to think about this now first.", she said and left the inn, too.

* * *

The door bell rang right after Emma artived home from the station.

It was Mary Margaret.

"Can I talk to you for a moment? I really need to talk to someone now!", she asked.

"Of course. Come in.", Emma answered.

She led her mother to the living room where Lace was already sitting. "Should I-", she asked.

"Oh no, it's alright. It's even better to talk to you both."

Emma and Mary Margaret said down next to Lace.

"He left his wife. David left her. He left Kathryn.", she said furious.

"Slow down.", said Lace to calm her down.

"Because of me. He wants to be with me. He wants me to meet him tonight."

"That's great.", Emma said hoping her mother didn't notice how happy she was about to hear that.

"That's -", Lace tried, but was interrupted by Mary Margaret. "I mean I'm trying so hard to be strong, but he just keeps coming. I mean how do I stop it?"

"You don't stop ot, you go.", said Emma immediatly and thought right after if that had been a big mistake.

"What?"

"She means: He left his wife. Isn't that all what you can ask for. It was his choice. You mean something to him."

Mary Margaret smiled at the two sister-in-laws. She had hope that everything was going to be fine.

* * *

While David was trying to find his way to the Toll Bridge, he bumped into Neal, who just walked home from the shelter.

"Oh, sorry. Mr. Nolan?", Neal was suprised to see him that late walking in town. He looked at the map. "Are you lost?"

"Yeah… Kind of. I'm looking for The Toll Bridge."

"The place you were found? Still trying to get your memories back?"

"Ah.. No. I'm meeting someone.", David smiled and Neal immediatly knew it was Mary Margaret.

"Ah.", Neal said and told David the way.

Unknowing to them, the mayor was standing on the other side of the road looking sceptical at those two.

She had wanted to use the situation and led Prince Charming to Gold's shop to get him fake memories, but the guy from the outside had ruined everything.

Angrily she turned around and thought about what she could do now.

* * *

Emma arrived at home from her night shift.

Lace noticed instantly that something was off. "What's wrong?"

Emma looked around if the kids were in the near and then whispered: "Graham. That guy is sleeping with Regina."

"What? Oh how disgusting.", Lace said disgustedly.

In that moment Neal arrived.

"What's wrong?", he asked instantly, too.

Emma explained again and Neal reacted just like Lace and her before.

"I just met your Dad.", Neal changed the subject. "He's meeting someone at the Toll Bridge. I guess our plan is working. He's meeting your mom, right?"

"Yeah.", Emma answered with a smile. "Let's hope things will work out."

"Yeah. By the way, maybe Lace and I never told you our full story. Maybe we should now?", Neal said and Emma nodded.

 _A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: True North: Siblings**

 _A/N: I choosed to skip_ The heart is a lonely hunter _and_ Desperate Souls _because I think Graham would have never kissed Emma if she had been married. So Graham is still alive in_ True North _._

 **Present day**

Emma headed to the store with Graham.

Henry, Allie and two other kids had been caught for robbery.

She couldn't believe that Henry would do something like that and neither Allie.

When she entered the shop, Regina was already there.

"I'm sorry madame mayor, but your daughter was shoplifting.", explained .

"Were you?", she asked Allie with a serious look. Allie shook her head.

"Look for yourself.", showed the two mothers Henrys and Allies schoolbags filled with candy.

Regina looked at the candy and said: "My daughter doesn't eat candy. And she knows better than just you."

Regina was really acting like she was the queen and not just a simple mayor, Emma noticed. There seemed no way that woman would give up.

"We're going.", she commanded and left the store. "And Sheriff, Mrs. Cassidy, do your job."

"Did you call their parents already?", asked Graham. He seemed a little bit insecure for Emma since she had found out about him and Regina.

"I tried, but the number they gave me was disconnected."

"Did you guys gave him a fake number?", asked Emma because that would be the reason why the number was disconnected if she had been in their place now. The siblings shook their heads.

"Than why is it disconnected?", asked Graham.

"Because our parents couldn't pay the bill.", the girl answered.

"You're just trying to help them, aren't you?", asked Emma.

"Please don't arrest us. I would just make things worse for our parents.", begged the girl.

* * *

While Graham got back to the station, Emma drove the kids home.

Noticing that something was off, she asked the kids if everything was alright at home.

With the help of her superpower she knew that the girl was lying about that it was.

Covert Emma and Henry made sure that the kids actually went into the house they had shown them.

What they didn't.

Catching the twins in an abandoned house Emma asked them why they lied to her.

"Where are your parents?", she asked.

"We don't have any.", the girl answered.

Emma looked at the orphans immediatly seeing herself in their eyes. Just like them she had stolen to survive having no parents to look after her, always being alone and at her own.

* * *

 **28 years ago**

 _Making herself ready, one of the guards suddenly came in._

 _Regina turned angry around. What was so important that he had to disturb her?_

 _"_ _Your majesty,_ the girl _was seen in the woods."_

 _"_ _I know that she lives in the woods."_

 _"_ _She was practicing_ magic _.", those words_ _made her froze._ The girl _had magic?_

 _The little brat could mean her end if she knew how to use her powers. She had to find a way to get rid of_ the girl _for good._

* * *

 **Present day**

Because the siblings couldn't stay alone at the abandoned building, Graham suggested to ask Mary Margaret for help. He knew that she had an extra room and always tried to help. Moreover, she was the most trustworthy person he knew in town.

"Do you know them?", asked Emma her mother. _Her mother_. This sounded so crazy.

She always searched for her parents, but actually standing in front of them was completely different. "Are they in your school?"

Her mother shook her head. "I've seen them, but I had no idea. Noone had."

"We're going to look for their father.", explained Graham.

"It could be that he doesn't even know they exist.", Emmas stomach hurt. Her own parents didn't even know she exists. For them she was a stranger.

"You're hoping he wants them.", her mother determined.

"Yeah."

* * *

Looking for the birth certificates, it turned out, Regina was a step forward.

"You can relax. I contacted social services. The kids are on their own. They need help."

"That's what we are trying to.", said Emma. That woman wanted the kids to end up in the forster system? Even if the mayor was The Evil Queen, Emma suggested that that woman had no idea about that system.

"We're trying to find their father."

Regina gave Graham the documents. "There are no records about him. Which means we have no choice. These children need a home, so they will be putten into the forster system."

"I called the system and their keeping us in touch with two group houses. One for girls, one for boys."

"You're seperating them?", asked Graham. Emma noticed that he acted kind of emotionless. What was wrong with that man?

"I don't like it either. But we got no choice. You need to bring them to Boston tonight."

Emma gulped. It seemed like they hadn't much time.

* * *

Right after Allie had found out about her mothers plan, she ran to her office.

"You can't do that!", ahe shouted.

"Can't do what?", her mother asked shocked about her daughters furious.

"Seperating them! Taking them out of Storybrooke!", Allie was still shouting.

"I have no choice, sweetheart. I-"

"You _always_ have a choice!"

"I'm trying to find them a home. They can't live in an abandoned home and steal to survive. They need a stable home."

"A _stable_ home? Emma told me about the system! She said they're literally _meal tickets_!"

"Emma? You mean Mrs Cassidy? Stop listening to those strangers. They have no idea about Storybrooke and most importantly: _you_. They're just trying to set you against me."

"That's not true!"

"Allie, calm down. I really trying to help. I want to give the a home. Everyone needs a home."

"Home is with their father.", Allie said still furious, but not shouting.

"But their father is not on their documents. It' s like he doesn' t exist."

"But he is here in Storybrooke and you know it."

Regina looked at her daughter. She was still firious about that topic. Those new people were a big problem. Allie had neber been like that until they arrived. She had already found out her real identity as The Evil Queen, but she had never been against her so much.

"Allie.", Regina gulped. But she had to do something to get her daughter back. "If he is really here in Storybrooke, there' s a chance that Graham and Mrs Cassidy could find him. So, if they found him, Ava and Nicholas could stay with him. If he would want.", she said friendly. Hoping that the sheriff and his deputy wouldn't find their father, she searched for a way to get rid of the saviour for good, just like she once did it with _the girl_. She didn't remember her real name, but she always called her that way.

"Okay.", said Allie. She wasn't sure what to think of what her mother was doing, but Allie had no idea why her mother should lie to her in that case. Her mother didn't seem to just pretend that Emma and Graham got that last chance, it looked like she was indeed giving them that last chance. Even if Allie couldn't understand why her mother suddenly changed that way. "Thanks.", she said being sure that she shouldn't let herself be distract from the curse.

* * *

 **28 years ago**

 _It had been easy to get some water of Lake Nostos. For years Regina had kept an old bean with her and now she could it make work with the water from that lake._

 _A one way ticket for_ the girl _._

 _With her carriage she made her way with her father to the place_ the girl _had been seen the last time._

 _The place was near a small village, where she found_ the girl _quickly._

 _"_ _Hello.", she said._

The girl _turned around immediatly. With great eyes she said: "Your majesty…"_

 _"_ _Hello, dear.", The Evil Queen said in fake friendly voice, which made_ the girl _shiver._

 _This was what she always wanted since she had accepted her role as_ The Evil Queen.

 _Behind her stood her father. She knew that he wasn't happy about what she was doing, because he thought this wasn't making her happy. "Regina…", he said. He knew what she was about to do when he noticed the bean she was holding._

 _She ignored her father. He didn't know who_ the girl _was._

 _"_ _You don't have to do his.", her father tried how he always tried it. Appealling to her good side. That her happy ending wasn't SnowWhites misery._

 _Bit she ignored her fathers words just like every other time. He didn't know who SnowWhite really was. What the little brat had done to her and Daniel._ Daniel. _She remembered how much she missed him._

 _Soon she would get revenge on SnowWhite. She would eventually revenge him._

 _She throw the bean in front of_ the girl.

 _Watching the black haired falling through the portal, The Evil Queen smiled._

 _Where ever_ the girl _would end up, she wouldn't be a problem anymore._

* * *

 **Present day**

 _The saviour_ had become more and more a problem. When Regina entered the inn today, SnowWhite and her so called Prince Charming were sitting together at a table and laughed about something, while Princess Abigail were nowhere to be found. Thanks to Sidney she found out where the Princess had been: She had been with her former fiancé.

That meant that _the saviour_ was messing with her curse. SnowWhite was supposed to feel misery, not laughing with her former husband.

If Regina didn't do something, SnowWhite would get her happy ending back.

However, she had to something against _the saviour_ without to antagonize Allie.

The sleeping curse could be the answer, when she did it subtle.

After that Allie made her way to the Cassidys. She had figured out who the two siblings are.

She put the book on the table after she explained to the others what she had found out. "Brother and sister. Lost and no parents. Hansel and Gretel.", she showed them the picture of them in the book. It was crazy how the book could show them exactly how the twins looked like.

"Are there any details about their father?", Neal asked.

"Nothing except that he gave them a compass.", Allie answered.

"That could help if they still have it.", Emma explained. "I'll go to Mary Margarets and ask them. Maybe the compass could help us find him.", Emma stull couldn't call Mary Margaret her _mother_. This was just too much for her for her mother. Calling her that way, would mean accepting her as her _mother_ and that would mean opening herself. She knew now that her parents gave her away to break the curse, but she still didn't know if she could forgive them after she had been alone for her whole childhood, when she had needed them the mist.

"Wait!", Emma turned around to Allie.

"Could you hide that from my mom? If she finds the book, she will find out everything.", ahe explained. Allie didn't know how much her mother already knew and it was always better to make she won't know everything else, too.

Emma took the book. "Of course.", she said with a smile and hid the book in her old box.

She grapped her baby blanket and left.

* * *

 **10 years ago**

 _"_ _Just one last push.", the Doctor said._

 _Emma screamed from the pain and squeezed Neals hand hoping it would take away all the pain that was going through her body._

 _And then she heard her babys first cry._

 _"_ _It's a boy.", said the Doctor._

 _Neal stood up to hold his new son, while Lace sat next to Emma._

 _Both smiled at each other._

 _Emma and Neal just got a son. A_ son.

 _Noone could describe how happy he or she was._

 _Neal gave the little boy to Emma._

 _She looked at the tiny creature who was_ her son. _She couldn't believe she just got a kid. She gave birth to this little sweet creature._

 _She smiled full of joy._

 _"_ _What are you going to name her?", asked the Doctor._

 _Emma and Neal looked at Lace. They had decided that the babys godmother should be the one who picks up the name._

 _"_ _Henry.", Lace answered. She had heart many things about The Evil Queen, but also about her father. A kind man who tried to get his daughter back to his good side like SnowWhite did it. The young Queen had often given her stepmother another chance. There was no way she wanted to see her blood even if the new chance was for nothing. And so had The Evil Queens father always appeled to his daughters good side. He never gave up hope._

 _So Lace decided to call the little boy after someone who always believed in the good side of the people he cared about._

 _"_ _A wonderful name.", the Doctor said with a smile and left the room to let the family with their newest member have some time alone._

 _The new parents and the new aunt looked at the tiny breathing creature and couldn't do but smile full of joy._

* * *

 **Present day**

"Emma. Any news?", Mary Margaret asked immediatly when Emma arrived at her apartment. The woman was furious about the kids father. It was like it meant really much to her. The kids seemed to become really important to her. As much as Emma had heared about her, kids had always been an important role in her life. Sadly, her own daughter wasn't a kid anymore, she was a grown up woman at around her mothers age.

"Nope. But I have an idea how to find him.", Emma explained and went to the siblings.

"I have to show you something.", she said and put her baby blanket out of her bag.

"What's that?", Nicholas aked.

"It's my baby blanket. It's something I hold on for my whole life. It's the only thing I have from my parents _._ I spent a lot time with kids in your situation and all of them - all of _us_ \- we hold on this stuff." , she lay the blanket on the counter. "I - Graham and I want to find your father. Is there anything of his, you hold on to?"

"I may have something.", Ava said and put out a compass. _The compass_. If Gretel had it as Ava, there was a chance that the connection between both worlds could get Emma to find their father.

"A compass?", Emma asked interested so the siblings didn't notice something was off.

"Our mom kept it.", Ava explained. "She said it was our Dads."

"Thanks.", said Emma and left with the promise to find their father.

* * *

 **6 years ago**

 _Henry couldn't sit quiet._

 _He was about to become a big brother to his new sisters._

 _He knew that his aunt was smiling at him._

 _She wasn't that excited like he was._

 _She wasn't nervous. How could she be so calm?_

 _Finally the door was opened. His father smiled at him: "Do you want to meet your new sisters?", he asked and Henry rushed into the room._

 _"_ _Kid, kid. Your sisters will be still here in a minute.", his mother said, but his full attention was on the two little babies in her arms. He was officially a big brother to those little girls. Together he and his mother had picked up the names_ Zoey _and_ Claire _and he thought they fit perfectly._

 _Lace and Neal stood behind him and looked at the newest members with a smile._

 _In the last years they had become a great - no_ perfect _\- family. It seemed like they got the life they always wanted without even knowing it at the beginning._

* * *

 **Present day**

"Auntie Lace!", Lace heard one of the twins shouting from upstairs.

"Calm down!", Lace said when she heard the girl - no it sounded like it were both twins - running down the stairs.

"Mommy forgot her blanket!", one of them, possibly Claire, said and showed her aunt the blanket.

Lace took it. "Why do you have her blanket? You know that your mom doesn't like when you touch ger things, like you don't want it." Kids. Want to touch everything. Lace shook her head.

"We wanted to read grandpas story. He's the beast from the beauty and the beast, too!", shouted Claire excited.

"He thinks Belle is dead, because of The Evil Queen. She told him that lie. But she isn't. She has to be here somewhere. We have to find her.", Zoey explained.

"Okay. I'm going to tell Emma right after we got Hansel and Gretel back to their father. As deputy it won't be that hard for her to find Belle.", Lace said and whispered: "I hope."

The twins ran upstairs again, while Lace looked at the blanket. Why didn' t Emma took it with her? She clearly didn't forget it. Emma wanted to use it to get the compass.

This didn't make sense.

She studied the blanket made out of wool. It was everything Emma had had left from her parents until she had finally found them here. Emma finally reunited with her parents. Lace wished the same thing could happen to her, but she had nothing that could lead her to them.

Asking if someone knew something, had Robin - Lace blinked. She had looked on it just for a short moment, not enough time to really read it, but she was sure that the purple name on it _wasn' t Emma_.

Slowly she took another look at the name on the blanket. It had to be Emma. _Emmas_ name was _Emma_.

But on the blanket wasn't Emmas name embroided. _Amelia_.

In the moment Lace read the name, images flashed in front of her eyes.

 _SnowWhite looking down at her._

 _Prince Charming next to her._

 _"_ _Hello, Amelia. You're so beautiful.", she heard SnowWhite saying._

 _Then suddenly The Evil Queen hunkering over her._

 _Voices shouting "_ Amelia".

 _Forest. Everywhere was forest._

Lace made a step back.

The images. Those images had been memories. Memories about who she really was.

No, this wasn't possible. She couldn't -

But she was. She just remembered her parents. Those who were Emmas, too.

Emma was her sister and SnowWhite and Prince Charming were her parents.

No, this didn't make sense. SnowWhite and Prince Charming didn't have another daughter. It was just Emma.

Lace looked in the mirror. Black hair just like SnowWhite. Blue eyes like those from Prince Charming she remebered from the images.

And then it made sense. _Emma_. The strange way The Dark One had emphasized her siter-in - her _sisters_ name.

The deal he didn't make with Emma - the deal he made with _her_.

The way he looked like he couldn't understand something when they arrived. Emma had the name, some resemblences.

Lace had the eye catching black hair and blue eyes and some other resemblences possibly.

Regardless of the resemblences between Emma and her parents, The Dark One had seen the resemblences between her and _her_ parents.

He had always thought _she_ as the saviour, not _Emma -_ or as he was possibly thinking: _Lucy_.

The Dark One had always thougth that they had switched their names. What ever had lead to Emma had been forgotten because the things that lead to her.

Now, when she looked into the mirror, she could see that she had her mothers chin.

When she had seen Emma and their mother together, she always noticed that they had the same and hadn't noticed

that it was all the three of them. Until now.

How couldn't she had seen it?

Now it just seemed obvious.

* * *

Unwillingly Neal let himself be talked into to talk with Emma and Graham to his father. If one person knew Rumpelstilskin it was him. Even if around two hundreds years had past.

When they entered the shop, his father immediatly said: " _Emma._ ", in his strange way wanting to show that he knew everything.

"And Sheriff Graham and Neal, am I right?", he asked not being interested in Neals name. Interesting that he wasn't even thinking that his son was standing in front of him. It seemed like he was not even imagening that his son came to Storybrooke by himself and he didn't had to go after his son.

"Yeah.", Neal said not wanting to talk much.

"It's lovely to see you."

Emma put down the compass on the counter. "We're looking for information. This old compass. Any idea where it could come from?"

Rumplestilskin - or , how Emma still prefered - took the compass. "What do you want to know? I don't think you want to sell it."

"Who bought?", Emma asked remembering that everything in town had or still belonged to him.

"Well, I'm good with names, Mrs Cassidy. But maybe not that good. Lucky for you, I do keep the records.", he searched for the right record and hold it in front of Emma but not giving it her. "What's your price?", she asked whrn she determined that he wanted something in exchange.

"Forgiveness.", he answered.

"How about tolerance?", Emma tried. She wasn't about forgive that give everything he would do in the future.

"That's a start.", he said and told them that the compass was bought by a man called Michael Tillman.

"Anything else?", asked Emma while she looked at her husband if everything was alright and they weren't tricked.

"No, but this all we need.", Mr. Gold said and they left while Gold wished them good luck with their investigation letting them wonder how he knew about that.

* * *

While Neal went to his shift at the animal shelter, Emma and Graham went to Mr Tillman, the town mechanic.

After they explained everything to Mr Tillman and showed them the papers about the siblings, he just shook his head and said: "Not possible."

"Actually, it is.", retorted Emma.

"This was just once."

"Sometimes it's all it takes."

"I met when I was camping and we uhm- It's not possible. I don't have twins."

"Yes.", Emma retorted sharp, "You do."

"Your twins had been homeless since their mother passed away. They lived in an abandoned house, because they don't want to be seperated from each other.", explained Graham.

"They are about to be shipped off to Boston _unless_ you step up and take responsibilty for them."

"Look, I can barely manage this garage… I can't manage two kids.", Michael explained and Emma sighed. When she found out that she was pregnant with Henry she had thought the same way. They had just ran away after Neal and Lace sold their stolen watches. She thought she couldn't give Henry his best chance, but with the help of Neal and Lace she realised that she could do this and now they had Claire and Zoey, too. But how was she supposed to get him to take the twins. Michael didn't seem to have a family to support him. He was on his own just like his twins.

"Ever seen this?", asked Graham instead and showed Michael the compass.

This attracted his attention.

Graham gave it to him.

"What's this?", he asked.

"It belonged to you around 11 years ago.", Graham answered and Emma tried to convice Michael to take the twins by using her own experience: "I know it means a lot, but you can do this. They are your kids and they count on you, because they need you."

When Emma saw Henry for the first she knew that she could give him what he wanted. A family with his parents and an aunt, love and support and much more if they stepped up for him. And now her kids counted on her as their mom and she stepped every day up for them because she knew that she could give them their best chance. Because of the help of Neal and Lace.

Michael gave the compass back to Graham. "I'm really sorry, but I don't know much about being a dad. If you looking for a good home for them - It's not with me.", and with those words he left into his house.

* * *

There had been no way Emma was letting Graham leave with the siblings to Boston alone, so she was about to leave to Boston with them.

Before they left, Allie and Henry told her as often as they could that noone could leave town. But there was nothing else she could do. As long as she hadn't broken the curse, she had to follow Reginas orders.

Driving the sheriffs car, Emma found a last chance. Having faked that the car broke down, she called _help_ : Michael.

Maybe seeing his kids would change his mind.

Graham looked at her like he knew what she was doibg.

That man seemed always so… _normal_? Emma didn't know how to describe his two sides. On the one side he was this normal sheriff and on the other side that guy who was sleeping with the mayor while Allie was in the house.

Seeing Tillman arriving Emma and Graham walked in his direction.

When he had stepped out of the car and walked to Emma and Graham, Michael noticed two kids sitting in the sheriffs car.

"Those are them?", he asked.

"Those are them.", Emma answered.

"And your call, Mrs Cassidy?"

"I just wanted you to see them. Just _once._ "

Looking into the car with the twins looking outside, at him, Michael just couldn't but walk to them.

He turned around just one step in fron of the car: "You're taking them? To Boston?"

"We don't have to.", Emma explained hoping he indeed changed his mind.

Michael turned around to his kids again. "No. You don't."

Emma and Graham smiled. He was taking them. A family reunited after whole 28 years. Emma hoped this would happen to her soon, too.

Every day she brought her kids to school she met Mary Margaret, her mother, who didn't know who she was. Emma wanted finally to meet the mother she always searched for and not just a cursed self of her, who didn't remember her.

* * *

Sometimes you do something without thinking. An irrational act you will later regret. It wasn't new for Lace to do something like that.

She ripped the door open. "How do I break the curse?", even if she wasn't the one whos destiny it was to break the curse, getting some information without letting The Dark One know the truth could be a clever move when she was carefully.

"Interesting.", The Dark One said as calm as he always was. He wasn't suprised or excited. Lace wondered how the man could always go with things like they were obvious or he knew it would happen right that way. He may could see the future, but he couldn't see everything.

"I wondered when you would finally admit who you are ", The Dark One talked further.

"That's unimportant. _How do I break the curse_?", Lace tried to talk serious and nerved at the same time to make sure he wouldn't ask anymore questions. She was playing in a dark area and had no idea what was coming for her or Emma, so she had to be carefully what she was telling The Dark One.

"True love, Ms Cassidy. The only magic powerful enough to transfer between worlds and break any curse. Luckily for you, I have it in a bottle somewhere. With some strands of your parents I made the most powerful potion in all the realms. So powerful that when I created it, I used a single drop for a safety belt."

"That's why I am the saviour. This is why I can break the curse!", Lace wondered if she was indeed able to break the curse.

"There you get it."

"So - when you're telling me this - there should be some of the potion left - where is it?"

" _Where_ it is isn't the problem.", this didn't sound good. " _Getting_ it is what you should worry about."

"What am I suppose to do?"

The Dark One opened the box which was laying on the counter. He was already prepared for everything. That guy knew more than Lace had expected.

"Where you go - You're going to need this."

Lace looked at a sword. "What is that?"

"Your fathers sword." _Your fathers sword._ Her father. His sword. It was first thing she would hold which belonged to her parents. Which even had to do with her parents. Just some hours ago Lace had found out who she really is. _Amelia, the daughter of SnowWhite and Prince Charming, the sister of Emma_. And noone knew about it. Not even The Dark One. In his prophecy it was Emma, who would break the curse - So why look for the big sister, who was supposed to be cursed and five years old?

But now she was here and not Emma. And she was going to get that potion. If Emma wasn't able to break the curse - who knows why - they would have a backup. And that could save their and many others lives.

Lace took the sword. Whatever she was going to face, she would do everything for her family.

* * *

Unknowing to everyone someone just came accross the town line.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A land without magic: Breaking the curse**

 **33 years ago**

 _It was the best day in their lived when their little daughter was born. Life had not been easy with the war against The Evil Queens army to get the kingdom back, but they could handle it. When everything was over they would live the life they wanted, the life they wished for their little daughter._

 _She was now two months old and let her parents smile everyday regardless of what had been and what they would have to face._

 _But noone knew that their lives were about to change._

 _It was in the middle of the night when they had been attacked._

 _Charming left with the dwarves, Red and their allies who wanted to save the kingdom from The Evil Queen, too._

 _Granny, Snow and a few others stayed behind because of Amelia._

 _Even if they were prepared for an attacked right at their camp it had been too much knights._

 _Seeing that the others needed help, SnowWhite grapped her bow and some arrows but still staying next to her little daughter. She could defeat some knights but was suddenly thrown at a tree. By magic. Regina._

 _Shouting her daughters name she ran as fast as she could back to her but she could just see Regina vanishing with her._

 _Having tears in her eyes she looked at the place where Amelia lay. Only her blanket was left._

 _SnowWhite let herself fall on the ground and burst into tears._

 _Her little daughter, she lost her._

 _The one, who was besides Charming one of two most important things in her world._

 _And there wouldn't pass a day where she wouldn't search for her._

* * *

 **Present day**

Amelia took a deep breath.

She was ready. Ready to fight that _dragon_.

Knowing that everyone would tell her that she was making a mistake, if they were here, she thought about how she was supposed to do this.

The last time she had hold a sword she had been five years old and it had been a sword made out of _wood_.

She stepped into the cave, where the dragon was supposed to be.

She immeditaly saw the glass coffin, in which her mother lay years ago.

 _Her mother_. She still couldn't believe that SnowWhite, the woman she had looked up to, was her mother.

Slowly she made one step back and leant immeditaly at a wall. How was she -

Suddenly she felt with her hands, that this wasn't a _wall_ she leant on. This wasn't good.

Whatever was behind her, moved.

Looking back she saw that it was the dragon.

She made a few steps back and the dragon spitting fire.

How was she supposed to fight a fire spitting dragon, who was that tall?

What had she let herself talk into?

Quickly she hid behind a pillar. She was sure it was indeed a pillar this time.

Slowly she looked behind the pillar, watching the dragon suddenly falling down after the fround gave in.

Carefully she walked to the cliff.

From one moment to the other the dragon flew up and she tilted over.

As fast as she could she stood up.

She hold her fathers sword with both of her hands behind her back and threw it into the glowing heart of the dragon.

She watched with bride eyes when the dragons body glowed everywhere and hid her eyes with her right arm when the dragon exploded.

She sighed in relief. The dragon was defeated. She did it. She just defeated a _dragon_. Happily she took the egg qith the potion and made her way back to the elevator.

Suddenly the elevator stopped.

"Gold! What the hell was that?", she shouted. Gold had told her that the elevator needed someone upstairs to lower her down and later lifting her up.

She looked upstairs.

"Miss Cassidy!", finally answered. "The elevator broke down."

"I'm coming up."

"Wait. You can't climpb with the egg in your hands. Come, throw it up to me."

Amelia looked at The Dark One. He had thos name for a reason. But he also wanted the curse to broken. She had put the pieces together and was sure he wanted to find his son in this world. He just didn't expected his son to be already here. So she threw the egg up to him.

Climbing up, she saw him turning around and leaving.

"Gold!", she shouted. How could she been so stupid. Neal told her so often that you couldn't trust The Dark One. She just had hope that this man wasn't The Dark One in this case. That he was a man who just wanted his son back.

But that guy had tricked her. This had never been the way to break the curse. He just wanted that potion for himself.

* * *

When she arrived home, the others were already there.

Emma told her happily that Hansels and Gretels father had taken them in.

But Amelia didn't really listen to her words.

She just looked at her. This was her _sister_.

Emma was her _sister_. The blonde young woman, who tried to steal her and her brothers car, who had turned out to be the saviour, the daughter of SnowWhite and Prince Charming, was her _sister_. And now she looked at her as her sister for the first time. She was so happy, regardless what just had happened. She knew her parents, she had a sister in the woman who had been her sister-in-law for ten years now.

She had always known her. She always had a part biological family with her for eleven years and didn't know it.

She remembered being her sisters maid of honor and that Emma had told her that she wished to have someone from her family at her wedding and not being completely alone, even if Lace, Neal, a two months old Henry and their two neighbours as witnesses were the only people at the wedding.

But with Henry being only two months old and without them knowing that Lace and Emma were sisters, Neal had Lace as his sister and Emma had noone as a part of her family.

And now it turned out Emma had had her own sister as her maid of honor.

Amelia smiled. Like her sister hadn't been that alone as they thought, she had never been that alone as she had thought, too.

Neal had been her brother and he was it still, but it wasn't the same. When she had been little she had longed for her biological family and it had come to her, when she at least expected it.

"Auntie Lace? Auntie Lace?", slowly Amelia started to come back to the present. Claire was standing at the couch and waving her hand in front of her face. "Are you there?"

"Yeah. I am.", she answered to her niece, who turned out to be not just be her niece by adoption, but also biological.

"Do you come with us?", she asked.

"Where do you want to go?", she asked confused.

"We want to go to Granny's.", answered Neal next to her. "Is everything alright?"

Amelia looked for Emma. Her sister was still standing right in front of her, but was now talking to Henry about something.

"Yes. But I'm a little tired. I'm going to stay at the house.", she answered. Should she tell Emma everything now? _Hey! I found out who I am. Your parents daughter. So I'm your sister._ This sounded crazy. She should think about something better.

"Oh. Ok-", Neal was saying something, but Amelia didn't listen. She still wondered how she should she could tell Emma who she was. When the others were grapping their coats to go out, she thought it would be better to tell them, when things were calmer and the others weren't about to go out somewhere. She could tell Emma everything tomorrow and think about how she should do it tonight.

* * *

While she was watching the others to walk to the inn, Amelias thoughts went back to the curse. Telling Emma wasn't the only thing she had to do. She had to find out how her sister should break the curse. If she told her sister the truth tomorrow, would Emma believe that she could do it?

Could the sisters already reunite with their parents tomorrow?

The egg hadn't been a solution, they hadn't even a backup, thanks to that beast. _Beast_.

Belle! They had to find her still.

In that moment the doorbell rang.

Amelia went to door and opened it, to see The Evil Queen and Graham behind her.

"Miss Cassidy. I am here to apologize."

"For what?", Amelia asked harsh. The Evil Queen and apologizing? That woman had taken her as a little baby from her parents, had taken away everyones happy endings to make them living miserable for their whole lives, not to forget the many people she killed. And there was not any day she didn't felt even a bit guitly.

"For trying to send you and your brother to jail."

And now she wanted to apologize for trying to _send her in jail_? There were many more horrible things she had done. Like Hansel and Gretel taking away from their father by the curse.

"Thanks for apologizing.", Amelia said with a faked smile and was about to close the door, when The Evil Queen stopped her with her foot.

"Please just let me. I made something for. A turnover. It's the last thing I could do."

Slowly Amelia opened the door a little bit to look in her face. "I'm not hungry and tomorrow it wouldn't taste that good anymore. So, thank you, but take it home again.", with her fake smile she tried the close the door finally, but The Evil Queen still stopped her still with her foot from that.

"I know that you know exactly what's going in Storybrooke. I saw you and Gold going to the library. He was definitely not interest in the books. He wanted what was _down_ there."

Amelia gulped. Now she couldn't use fake smiles and excuses. Now she needed to use the truth.

She heard something falling down. "I want you to take a look at this.", The Evil Queen said and what ever it was it wasn't good.

"Why should I?", she asked instead.

"Because you don't anyone to die.", the woman in front of the door answered and she heard someone gasp. Graham.

Amelia opened the door slowly.

The Evil Queen was holding a heart and Graham had his hands on his chest and looked frightened.

She watched the woman crompressing the heart and Graham gasping for air.

"Stop!", she shouted.

"I'm glad we want the same thing now.", The Evil Queen smiled and handed her the turnover. "Take a bite."

* * *

 **28 years ago**

 _The curse was coming and she wasn't in the wardrobe already. She couldn't have this baby now._

 _She should escape with Emma the curse._

 _The plan had been that Snow and Emma would come back in 28 years, Emma would break the curse and they would reunite._

 _And right after that they would continue their search for Amelia._

 _There was no way they would accept that the child was lost forever._

 _Many people believed that Regina killed the infant. But Snow couldn't believe that the woman who once had saved her live would harm an innocent infant. Regardless how much she hated Snow._

 _"It's finished.", she heard Geppetto say._

 _Charming was about to hold her up, when Doc told them it was too late and they couldn't move her._

 _No. It couldn't be too late._

 _They couldn't end up all cursed, she and Emma were supposed to escape the curse together. Emma couldn't escape it alone._

 _When she hold her little newest daughter in her arms, she and Charming couldn't do but smile about the little one._

 _Until she remembered that the curse was coming._

 _"_ _The wardrobe.", she slowly began to say what was going on in her head. "It only takes one."_

 _In that moment they heard something outside. Reginas Dark Knights._

 _"_ _Our plan. It failed.", her husband said and leant closer to her. "At least we are together."_

 _"_ _No. You have to take her. Take the baby to the wardrobe.", Snow said._

 _"_ _Are you out of your mind?", asked her husband. She wasn't suprised about it after what happened to Amelia, but Snow knew what they had to do._

 _"_ _No. It's the only way. You have to-"_

 _"_ _No, no, no. You don't know what you're saying.", Charming interrupted her._

 _"_ _No, I do. We have to believe that Emma will come back to us. That she will bring back all the happy endings.", Snow looked deep in her husbands eyes. "She will reunite families, like we want to reunite with Amelia. We have to believe that we will all be back together one day. We have to give her her best chance." Emmas best chance. It wasn' t with them under the curse. They would give her her best chance by escaping The Evil Queens curse. Living under the womans control, who had taken her sister, would be the opposite. Emma should escape it._

 _And Charming accepted it. He kissed their daughters forehead and Snow said holding back her tears: "Goodbye, Emma." And kissed her forehead, too. She knew that this would be the last moment with her daughter for 28 years. She wouldn't see her daughter for whole 28 years. It broke her heart to do this, but she believed, or maybe had to believe, that Emma will come back to them, break the curse and they would find Amelia. They would finally be a family again. When they had lost Amelia she had hope that they would find her and now she had hope that Emma would save that them all. Not just her and Charming, no, everyone out there, who wished for his or her happy ending. Families, who wanted to be together again, just like they wanted to._

 _The problem was, it would take 28 years, it wouldn't be a few days and everything would be fine. It would take nearly three decades._

 _Charming took the little girl and they kissed one last time._

 _Hearing her daughters cry, while Charming took his sword and they looked at each other for one last time, she started to cry immediatly after her husband and their daughter left the room._

 _Why? Why did it have to take 28 years to be finally together again?_

 _She missed Emma and Charming already and she missed Amelia._

 _Why had this happen to her? Why did she decided to let Charming take their little daughter to the wardrobe? Why? Just why?_

 _But it was too late to change it. She just had to have the hope that one day, their family would be together again. Even if the way to that day would be hard._

* * *

 **Present day**

From the table they were sitting at, Emma could see her parents.

It looked like they had a date.

She had thought about many ways to reunite with her parents, but not that way.

Her parents having dates and falling in love, while they were actually already married and were parents.

In that moment came Ruby - or as Lace had told her Red Riding Hood.

They ordered.

"Did Auntie Lace gave you your blanket in time?", asked Claire suddenly.

"What?", she asked supprised. Her blanket? She had it with her the whole afternoon to get the compass and put it back at the evening, when she didn't need it anymore.

"Your blanket. You forgot it. Auntie Lace wanted to give it to you so you could get the compass.", explained Claire.

She didn't forget the blanket. It had been with her. Lace couldn't have it. So why -

Emma got it. _The blanket_. The blanket, which lay next to her, when she had been found. There had been a great search operation to find the little infant who should have lay in the blanket. But as nothing had been found, everyone started to think that the blanket had belonged to someone, who never had been with her at the place where Emma had been found. She always kept the other blanket next to her, like her own. Hoped that she would find her sister one day, like she hoped that she would find her parents.

And now, here in Storybrooke, when she realised that Henrys and Allies fairy tale theory was true, she expected Amelia to be in the town. Only one could go through the wardrobe and her parents decided it would be her. When the curse was broken, her parents would find Amelia and they would be together. Kind of. Emma would be with her family, could talk with her parents finally. And they could be a happy family with her still newborn sister. Or now one month old sister. The three of them could be the perfect family and she, already grown up, could be with hers.

"Where did you find it?", Emma asked her little daughter. She was so happy she kept Henry and got the little twins.

"In your box."

"When?"

"Half an hour after you left."

It was definitely Amelias.

Emma stood up. "I have to go."

"Em, what's wrong?", Neal had known his parents and had nothing from them left.

Emma had her blanket, the only thing from her parents she had left. He didn't now much about how it felt like to have only one thing from his parents left, but he knew, that the blanket was the most important object in his wifes life, so whatever was going on, it was really important to her.

"Everything is alright, Neal.", Emma lied. "I'm just going to ask Lace if she put it back. Sge forgot to give it to me.", Emma lied further.

Neal knew she was lying, but he didn't say anything. Emma didn't want to talk about it now, so he just let her go and would try talk to her tomorrow, when she had calmed down and opened herself about it. Pushing her into telling him the truth would just be wrong.

Emma left the inn and ran home right after Neal and the kids couldn't see her anymore.

* * *

Regina watched The Huntsman putting the saviour on the couch. He seemed to feel guitly, because the saviour took the bite for him, even if he still didn't know what was going on. He still didn't remember. After what he had seen what happened to the daughter of SnowWhite, she had to get rid od him, too. Or his memories about that. She had no magic left, so she had to find a simple solution. Telling everyone that he was responsible for what happened to Miss Cassidy and he must locked up.

In that moment the door was opened and Mrs Cassidy entered.

With bride eyes she looked at the three of them. "What the hell happened?", she asked angry and scared at the same time.

"Ask the sheriff. I followed him because he was acting weird. And then I found him here. I just wanted to call you.", the mayor answered, while Emma walked over to the couch and hunkered over her sister-in-law. She shook her, but nothing happend.

"What did you do to her?", she asked Regina angry.

"I did nothing.", the woman protested.

"She made her eat that apple turnover.", answered Graham.

Emma looked first at Graham, than turned around to Regina. _Apple_ turnover. Lace didn't wake up because of the sleeping curse. Lace was under that damn curse.

"Why did you put her under that curse?", she asked angry. "Why are you doing this to her?"

Regina knew she couldn't excuse herself anymore. "To make sure she doesn't bring back more happy endings."

What? Emma couldn't believe what she just had heard. Regina was thinking Lace was the saviour? Why Lace? Why not her?

Emma turned around to her sister-in-law, still shocked from what she just had heard.

She searched for a reason why Regina would believe that Lace was the saviour.

There had to be a reason that Regina mistook Lace for her.

Lace was just a year older, black hair.

Was that everything? No, the same chin like hers and her mothers.

This couldn't be a coincidence.

Because it wasn't. The similarities. Lace had her fathers was only one person out there, who could have them. _Amelia_.

Lace never brought her the blanket. Regina was believing that she had won.

Lace remembered who she is and figuted out that Regina was thinking that Lace was the saviour, SnowWhites daughter. Because she was that, too.

Emma kneed in front of her. Lace was her sister. The sister she searched for so long. Longed for her, like she did for her parents. It was crazy that after all that time, her sister had always been there.

She had always thought of her when she saw Lace and Neal siblings together and later Zoey and Claire. But with every day passing and starting to realise she wouldn't find her, she started to live more and more in the here and now.

The wedding. When she was she was little, she dreamed that her twin sister would be her maid of honor. And as it turned out, the wish came true. Just that it hadn't been her _twin sister_. Amelia had always been her _older_ sister.

And now her sister had sacrificed herself. Was under the sleeping curse instead of her. She should lay there, because she was the one bringing back happy endings. Like she did with Hansel and Gretel today by reuniting them with their father. _With their father_. It wasn't always getting a couple back together. Her parents happy ending. How could they have their happy ending, when one of their duaghters was under the sleeping curse? There had to be still a chance for Amelia.

Emma hunked over her sister.

When she was the saviour, she had to be able to get back her sister.

"Come back, Amelia.", she whispered and kissed her forehead instinctively.

Suddenly a wave of light appeared and Amelia gasped.

She did it. She saved her sister.

"No!", she heard Regina shouting behind.

"You should better go, your majesty. Because this time, you don't have my heart.", Graham said and pointed with his gun at Regina.

 _Your majesty._ The curse was broken. She had worked so hard for that! Regina left the house as fast as she could and went home. There were many people out there, who could want revenge on her.

"Do you remember?", Amelia asked with a smile.

"Your _heart_?", asked her sister shocked.

"Yes and yes.", Graham answered and now Emma understood why he acted that strange. He had been always under Reginas control.

"You did it!", her sister shouted happily and hugged her. _Her sister_. Emma still couldn't believe that Lace was actually her sister.

And now with the curse being broken, she just got her parents back, too. _Her parents_.

After all those years, she got the family back, she longed for for so long.

She couldn't do but smile, even if she was a bit scared of meeting her parents finally.

* * *

Everyone stopped what he or she just had done, after the wave of light had reached them.

Neal wondered for a brief moment what the wave had been, but when people stood up and hugged each other, full of joy, he got it immediatly. Emma had broken the curse.

"Did Mommy broke the curse?", Claire asked exctied.

"I think so.", he answered and turned around to the place, where Emmas parents sat. They just stopped hugging each other and went to them.

"Where's Emma?", Snow asked holding back her tears of joy.

"Mommy went home.", Claire answered with a smile.

Snow was about to say something, when they she saw purple mist coming in their direction.

Noticing that something is off, Neal and the kids turned around.

"What's that?", asked Claire scared.

"Something bad.", answered Henry.

And then the mist approached and spread over them.

* * *

While she was going home, Regina wondered why the other woman was able to break her curse. Gold had told her that it would be SnowWhites daughter and not some stranger. Was it becomes the woman kissed the saviours forehead?

No, this didn't made sense. In that moment, purple mist approached. Magic. Regina smiled. She just got her powers back.

 _A/N: Just as an reminder: Amelia was born 5 years before Emma, but is just only one year older, because she was in Neverland for 4 years._

 _For them, who are wondering: Belle will be freed in the next chapter._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Broken: Reuniting and other challenges**

 **Present time**

Slowly the mist vanished.

What had that been?

Snow was sure it had nothing to do with Emma breaking the curse.

"What's happening?", she asked.

"We're going to find it out.", said Charming next to her.

"But first we have to go to Emma.", Snow missed her daughter so much. She hadn't been with her for 28 years. Even if she didn't remember, it had been such a long time.

Every day they had just seen a blonde woman, who they barely knew.

Neal stood up with his kids. The kids. Neal. Emma hadn't just all grown up, she had already a family of her own. A husband and three children. How much did she miss.

But one thing was for sure: She would never miss a day with her daughter again.

She would never loose her again.

They left the dinner and Snow watched her grandchildren running home. Her _grandchildren_. Oh god. She remembered just having her baby daughter and now she had grandchildren. She had known that many years would pass, but she had never expected this. Her little daughter having children by her own.

* * *

Slowly Amelia and Emma walked into town.

Emma was just scared. She would meet her parents in a couple of minutes.

The parents she always thought abondend her on the side of the road.

But they didn't. She was sent to this world to bring back all the happy endings and for her own safety. And lived alone and unwanted until she met Neal and Lace - Amelia. Whatever intentions they had, it didn't changed that she had been alone when she had been young. That she had cried herself into sleep wondering why noone wanted her.

Next to her was Amelia, her sister - she still couldn't believe that - who was so excited to meet her parents.

Emma had always wondered where her sister ended up and what kind of life she had. As it turned out, Amelia had gotten a completely different life. She was so excited to finally meet her parents. She had never been alone and felt unwanted. Even if she didn't get the life she had been born into, she had got a great life. She always had a family.

* * *

Snows eyes immediatly filled with tears, when she saw Emma walking in her direction. Her little daughter, all grown up. And now finally after all those years she was able to hug her.

When Emma finally stood in front of her,

Snow slowly touched Emmas face. My beautiful little girl, she thought when she hugged her.

Charming joined them immediatly.

Feeling the warm of her daughter and her husband, the tears started to fell down.

Everything seemed to become great.

"You found us."

At those words images flashed in front of Emmas eyes.

 _SnowWhite and Prince Charming holding her._

 _SnowWhite having tears in her eyes while saying_ Goodbye, Emma _._

 _Charming fighting the Dark Knights and putting her in the wardrobe saying_ Find us _before closing it_.

The few moments she had back in the Enchanted Forest had come back to her.

Charming couldn't believe that the little baby, he once put in the wardrobe, was this grown up woman. His sweet little girl had become this wonderful woman, in like a second.

When Emma had got herself out of the warm hug of her parents, she looked at her sister. Emma had felt so many hugs with Neal, her kids, her sister - but this had felt completely different. She had felt safe, but it also felt strange. She didn't know what to think anymore. Giving Amelia the full attention seemed for her the best. She could get out of this strange situation.

"Mom? Dad? It's me, Amelia.", Amelia said with tears in her eyes. Her parents. After all those years she wanted to meet them, she finally got the chance. With a great smile she hugged her shocked parents.

They had expected their first born to be a little girl. With Emma they had known that she would be their age, but not with her.

Neither Snow nor Charming could believe that the little girl they had searched for, was this grown up woman in front of them. From those many ways to find her they thought of, they had never expected her to be already reunited with her sister, all grown up like her.

Snow couldn't stop smiling, she had waited for so long being reunited with her oldest daughter and now, when she reunited with her youngest, she reunited with her, too.

She had both her wonderful daughters back. And in that moment, everything just seemed to be perfect.

"So, you're moms big sister?", Henry looked at his aunt.

"Yeah. I am.", Amelia got herself off the warm hig of her parents. Before she could say anything else they heard people runnig down the street. Soon she realised in which direction they ran. The Evil Queens house.

When the mist had surrounded them, she immediatly felt it. _Magic_. Magic was back.

Those people were in danger and had no idea.

"We have to stop them. That mist just brought magic back. They are running into their death, if we don't do something.", she explained and they ran to the mayors house.

* * *

From her window Allie could see dozens of people in front of the house. Her mother just left the house. She couldn't see her, but she knew that she was standing right in front of them.

Was the curse broken? She had seen a flash of light and now all those people suddenly came here to face her mother. Yeah, it seemed so.

Then she could see Emma running through those people, probably shouting something.

Something was wrong. As fast as she could she ran downstairs.

* * *

Running through all those people, Emma could see Whale trying to touch Reginas neck. He wanted to kill her. "Let her go! Let her go!", whatever that woman had done, she didn't deserved to be killed. But most important: Regina was all Allie had.

Emma slapped Whales hand away.

"Why should I listen to you?", he asked harsh.

"Because I'm still Deputy.", she explained knowing that Graham would have done the same thing. When he was himself, he was a good person trying to do the right thing.

"And because she saved us all. All of you.", she heard her father shouting behind her. He had to shout, because all those people around them werd discussing loud.

"And no matter what she did. It' s not justified to do this!", her mother shouted.

Emma looked straight into Whales eyes. "We're not murders here."

"But we're not from this world."

"But we still have a lot to figure out.", her father shouted and her mother stepped in front of eberyone. "And killing Regina would never give us any answers. She needs to be locked up. For her safety - And more important: For ours."

* * *

While Emma and their father locked up Regina, Amelia took care of Allie.

Many things were going on in Amelias head. Regina hadn't use any magic. Wasn't she able to use it? Why didn't they go back home? What were they supposed to do with Allie and Regina? There was no way they would seperate mother and daughter, bit her own mother was right: Regina needed to be locked up. They really had to figure out what to do now.

* * *

David put Regina in one of the cells in the station.

"Why didn't we go back?", he asked.

"Because there's nothing to go back.", Regina answered.

"Lie. Amelia told me that not everyone ended up here, which means there are still people back in The Enchanted Forest.", Emma explained.

"You're right. Breaking this curse never meaned to bring everyone back home. It was always about the memories and the happy endings.", Regina asked, when Amelia entered with Allie.

"Allie! Little one, don't listen to them.", she shouted scared to loose her daughter. She had sacrificed so much for this curse and now all she had left was Allie. The little girl, who had brought light in her dark and lonely life.

"You cursed Amelia.", Allie said with a mournful voice. Oh no. Allie knew now about it. In the mournful eyes of her daughter, she could see disappointment. Did her daughter expected that she wouldn't do such a thing?

Then she looked up. _Amelia._ She had heard the little brat of SnowWhites daughter calling Lucy Cassidy by another name, but didn't care. "Amelia? Isn't this the name of the first born princess?", she said as emotionless as she could.

"Yeah, it is. Because I am.", the woman next to her daughter answered as strong as she could. The other little brat seemed to be sad about what happened to her in the past. She should stop being so sad. Now she was with her parents, while she and Allie were seperated.

"You're SnowWhites and Prince Charmings daughter, too?", her little daughter looked up to the brat. How could she like that woman who was so much look her mother? That woman possible could destroy everything in seconds like her mother.

"Yeah, I am.", Amelia answered and looked at her parents. "Could you watch Allie. We shouldn't seperate her from her mother. Regina is all she has. Emma and I have to do something and Neal - could you watch the kids?", she asked and everyone nodded.

The sisters left while Allie walked to her mother. Regina really meant something to her. She was still her mom, regardless of what she had done.

* * *

The two sisters walked to the hospital.

When Emma had been there for their father, she had found about a ward which was controlled by the mayor. Emma hadn't thought about it, when she had been there the last time, because things didn't seem different to other towns except that the mayor had great power here.

Now she expected the ward to be a psychiatric ward, where Belle was locked up, because there was no other place she could have ended up.

In the hospital were barely people. Most people must be with their families now and had never been that sick like Regina wanted it to look like.

When Emma was about to use her husbands lock-pick method, the door suddenly opened by itself. "How?"

"Magic-", her sister looked at her with a smile. "Can be really useful."

"You have magic?", her sister had magic? Thinking of magic Emma immediatly thought of Regina poising her mother and sister.

"Yeah and I think you, too.", Amelia answered and walked stairs down.

Emma followed her, shocked that she could have magic. That thing, Regina had used to enact a curse to rip everyones memories and happy endings. What does this would make out of her? Amelia was completely normal - she could be just like her - But her sister had been 28 years, no just 24 years, without magic, this wasn't the same.

Could Emma end up being just like Regina? No, not if she wouldn't use magic against anyone.

"Here we are. That's Belles.", Amelia stood in front of a room, which looked like a cell for her.

Amelia waved her hand and the door opened. Her sister could use magic for good, so Emma could, too. Emma sighed in relief.

Looking inside the cell, a brown haired, who seemed like she had never the chance to bath for a long time. What had Regina done to her? As much as Emma knew, Belle had never done anything wrong. She had only met Regina once before she got imprisoned. And at that time they just had talked about The Dark One and Regina suggesting that True Loves kiss would be the solution for everything. Belle didn't deserve this.

"Everything is going to be fine, Belle. Regina can't harm you anymore.", her sister told the scared woman.

Slowly Belle left the cell. "Rumplestilskin lives here under the name . he has pawnshop in the middle of the town. We're hoing to show you the way.", told her Amelia further.

Together they left with the girl, who once had been in love with Rumplestilskin and probably would be again.

They walked with her to the shop, but didn't entered it. Not before Neal and made up with his father. His father. Only now Emma realised that , Rumplestilskin, was her father-in-law and Belle was her father-in-laws girlfriend. This was crazy.

Just a week ago, Emma had only Neal, their kids and a sister-in-law and now she had her parents, her sister and a father-in-law with a girlfriend. Her life had changed in like a second. Whatever was supposed to come, it wouldn't be much crazier.

* * *

Because Allie had started to fall asleep in the station, Snow and Charming had left with her to Snows apartment not without promising the girl that they would come back right after breakfast.

Suddenly they heard noise out there.

Snow looked at the clock. 5:48AM. What the hell was going on at that time?

Tired they went down to the street.

When a light exploded next to them, they winced in union.

"I'm calling Emma and Amelia.", Charming said, when his phone rang.

Allie looked up to him to find out what was going on by his expression of his face.

He looked shocked and ended the call with: "We will be there in a second." Something was wrong. Something bad was happening.

"We have to go to the station. Now.", he said and got into the car.

"Is something wrong with my mom?", Allie asked scared.

"Everything will be fine, Allie. Emma and Amelia are already on theor way.", he said to calm her down.

But it didn't change anything. Her mom was in danger and Allie wouldn't calm down before her mother was safe.

* * *

Zoey had been the one, who had seen what was happening before the others did.

A black ghost flying in the direction to the station.

A wraith, a soulsucker, Neal told them. He knew about that creature from his father.

It had been quite obvious, where it had come from. The wraith was after Regina and there was only one person left, besides Amelia, who was able to use magic to summon him. The Dark One.

As fast as they could, Amelia, Emma and Neal made their way to the station hoping it wasn't to late for Regina.

Neal threw one of the chairs after it, while the creature was about to suck out Reginas soul. The wraith turned around and threw him away.

Amelia let a fireball appear in her hands and threw it after the soulsucker. He fled through one of the windows.

Coughing Regina stood up, when Snow and Charming entered the station with Allie.

"Are you alright?", Snow asked looking at Neal, her son-in-law. It still sounded crazy to have a son-in-law to her. It had been just a couple of hourse since she got her daughters back. Before she just had a five years old and a newborn daughter and now two all grown up daughters. She still had accustom herself to this new situation.

"Yeah, now. But it's not over.", Neal told her.

"What was that thing?", Allie asked while running to her mother. The door of her cell was gone, so she was able to hug her mother. She had been so scared to loose her.

"A wraith, a soulsucker.", Regina explained."And it will come back until it sucked out his prey.", she showed them her marked hand. "Me."

"So how do we kill it?", Emma asked.

"There is no way. You can't kill something, which is already dead."

"Then we have a problem.", Emma said.

Charming was about to say that only Regina had one, when he saw Allie looking up to her mother. Regina was all she had. They may could look for Allie and give her a new home, but that would be wrong. They would rip her out of her home, her family. "If we can't kill it, what are we supposed to do to stop it?", he asked instead.

"We sent it somewhere, where it can't hurt anyone."

* * *

Amelia watched The Evil Queen laying a hat on the ground.

"So, how does it work?", Amelia asked not being sure what to think about that a hat was their only soultion. She knew about magic, but a hat was the only soultion to save The Evil Queen?

"It will open a portal to our land. All-"

"A portal to our land? Are you serious?", Amelia interrupted her. "We can't just sent a soulsucker to our land!"

"It can't harm someone unless someone is marked. I am the only one who is.", The Evil Queen fired back. "So unless you want me dead, we are going to sent this creature, who is harmless to everyone else, to our world."

"And if it's not?"

"It is. There is noone, who could be marked. The locket through which I got marked has to be with Gold. So he is the only one who could be marked."

Amelia sighed. Regina was right. There was no danger for anyone in their land.

"Then let's do it.", in that moment they heard the door shaking. The wraith was coming. They had to do this quickly.

While her parents were standing right next to her with burning brooms, Regina was making the hat work. Or trying to make it work, because nothing happened.

"Regina.", she heard her sister saying, while she looked at the door.

"I'm trying-", Regina started, when the door was pushed opened.

The wraith flew in the room.

"Regina-", her sister tried again.

"I know.", The Evil Queen said bugged.

Her father was staying right in front of her, holding the burning broom in the wraiths direction to keep it away.

Her mother put oil on one of the balustrades. Amelia was creating a fireball in her hands by herself. She was pleased that she was still able to use her magic that easily.

Then her father stepped back and closed the balustrades in front of her.

Putting them on fire he shouted "Hurry!"

They hadn't much time.

"It's not working!", Regina shouted, while her father was waving with his burning broom in front of the wraith.

"What is the problem?", Emma asked.

"Magic. It's different here."

"Now it would be the time.", her father shouzed and Emma saw her sister throwing fireballs.

Emma huncked down next to Regina hoping she could do something.

When she touched her arm, the portal suddenly opened. They looked at each other confused, but had no time to think about it much more. Charming was thrown at the wall and Amelia had to cower, because the wraith had come to far. "It's coming!", Amelia shouted, while her sister shouted Reginas name and pushed the woman away.

When the wraith fell through the portal, Emma could feel how it grapped her ankle and trailed her with him.

Seeing her sister being trailed into the portal Amelia stood up as fast as she could and tried to grap her hands, just to loose her balance and fell through the portal, too.

While she fell, she heard her parents shouting and then everything went black for her.

"I'm not loosing them again!", Snow shouted and jumped after them. She had swore herself there wouldn't pass a day without her being with her daughters and she would do everything to make that possible.

"Neither am I!", shouted Charming jumping over the balustrades. But he landed on the ground and not in the portal. His daughters, he didn't want to loose again, after so much time had passed without them being together, his wife, he wanted to be with, after all this hard time they just wanted to be happy with their family, all three of them were gone. In a land, they once had known, but didn't know anything about anymore.

Slowly he stood up, looking at the broken head.

"How do we get them back?", he asked furious.

"I don't know.", Regina looked in shock at the ground, where the portal once had been.

"Then figure something out."

"I have no idea how. Figure it out by yourself. _Heroic_ _prince_.", she said sarcasticly. "I'm going to get my daughter.", and with those words she left.

Charming followed her seconds later. He had no idea how to tell this Neal and his grandchildren.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: We are both: Figuring out what to do**

 **Present time**

When Neal opened the door and only David and Regina had been there, he immediatly knew that things didn't go like planned. The look on his father-in-law just emphasized it.

"What happened?", he asked scared.

"Emma, Amelia and Mary Margaret got stuck in the portal. We have to find a way to get them back.", David explained while Regina went in the living room and picked Allie up. The little girls face told that she had no idea what was going on.

"Good luck.", Regina told them cold and left, while Allie looked back confused.

David closed the door, when the kids ran to them.

"Where are mommy, auntie Amelia and grandma?", asked Claire with bride eyes.

Neal knelt down to his children. "Look, everything is going to be fine. We are going to get them out of the enchanted forest, that's where they are at the moment. Because, even if it sounds not easy, we are going to get them back. Your mom already broke the curse, this won't be that hard.", he gave them a small smile, he couldn't do more. He had no idea how they were supposed to do this, but the important thing was to give his children the hope they needed to get up everyday without the family members they just had lost.

Claire, Zoey and Henry looked at him first and then hugged him.

"We are going to find a way to get them back.", Neal wasn't sure if he told that his kids again or himself.

* * *

"Mom. Tell me. What happened?", Allie looked straight at her mother.

"They fell through the portal. I already told you that."

"But why?"

"Emma pushed me put off the wraiths way and he pulled her with him. Her sister wanted to help her, but lost her balance and Mary Margaret followed them.", Regina knelt down to her daughter. "There was nothing I could do."

First Allie just wanted to tell her that she didn't believe it. Her mother had spent years to get revenge on SnowWhite and cursed nearly everyone in the enchanted forest, so why shouldn't she used the situation to let SnowWhites daughters fell through the portal, especially after she put one of them under the sleeping curse the day before. But she could see in her mothers eyes that she felt somehow sorry. Allie started to believe that her mother really cared about her and maybe really tried to do the right thing.

"Then help them. Try to get them back. You always wanted me to stop thinking you are The Evil Queen. Prove it. Do it for me."

Her mother nodded. "I will help them. For you."

Allie couldn't do but smile at her mother.

* * *

After the wraith had destroyed the whole main street and many things around it and people were still searching for some family members, they had many things to do.

"If you are looking for a family member, come to the front table.", Graham explained. "If you need counseling, Dr. Hopper has a sign up sheet. If the wraith damaged your house, there are courts at the school."

He gave the blankets he was holding to Miss Superior - or The Blue Fairy. Noone really knew how to call the others. But this was one of the least problems they had.

"Things are going out of hand. People are in panic. They don't know qhat to do.", she said.

"It's okay. It's going to be fine. We just need everyone to remain calm. I have a feelung our prince is working on something right now."

In that moment David came. "Blue!"

"Could there be a tree on this side? Like the one with which Emma came here as a baby? Maybe I can go after them."

"It's possible, but without dairy dust to guide us here - It's hopeless."

"We will find another way.", Neal suddenly stood next to them with his children.

"Right. In the books it always looks worse right before there are good news.", Henry agreed.

Suddenly they heard Leroy shouting: "Terrible news! Terrible news!"

Everyone turned around.

"Tell them who you think you are, Sneezy."

"Can you stop calling me like that? I'm Tom Clark. What's going on here?"

"If you cross the border, you cross the border and you loose your memory all ober again. If we leave, our cursed selves become our only selves.", Leroy explained.

Immediatly the people started to discuss.

"Hey, everybody comes back here in two hours. I will have fixed everything.", David had got their attention and he left right after, followed by Neal, Graham and his grandchildren.

"So what's the plan?", Graham asked.

"I don't know, but I hope I will have one in two hours."

* * *

While Regina was trying to get her magic back and letting Allie believe that she was working for a way to help SnowWhite and her daughters, Neal made his way to Gold after Henry had found out that the hat belonged to The Mad Hatter.

Neal had suggested to send David, but then he realised that he couldn't run away from his father forever. Maybe it was even better that Neal would go to him. His father would be more willing to help his son than the prince he never really cared about.

"It appears that when I bought that close, I was just throwing away my money."

"Maybe.", Neal answered.

His father turned around. "Sorry to hear about your wife and sister. If you need help, I'm sorry to tell you that jumping through portals is just outside my preview."

"Of course it is.", Neal knew that from experience. He had ended up in this world after using the last bean, or one of the last beans as it turned out with Lace - no Amelia - , while his father had not come with and also not after him.

"So, what's the problem outside?"

"There are problems with crossing the line."

His father didn't seem to care, but Neal knew that his father was thinking that his son was outside of Storybrooke. So he indeed did care.

"What do you want?"

"A way to find someone. Like a potion to find someone, when you habe something that belonged to that person.", Neal wasn't sure if he was about to do the right thing or if that magic would come with a bad price

However, thos could be the only way to get his wife and sister back, so he was willing to pay it, if necessary.

His father turned around and fetched a box.

He took a potion and showed it Neal.

"Pull this on the object and then follow it. It's simple.", he explained.

Neal was about to take it, when his father pulled it back.

"What do you want?", he immediatly knew that his father wanted something in return.

"Peace. All of you - Just leave me alone."

"When you give us the same: Yes."

"Thank you for your business.", his father gave him the potion.

He was about to leave the shop, when his father asked: "So what happens, when you cross the town line?"

Neal turned around. "You loose your memory and become your cursed self again. Looks like you're stucked here."

With those words he left.

His father wanted to cross the border to find him. Neal couldn't just run away from his father forever. He told himself, that he would tell him who he is, when Emma and Amelia had returned with their mother.

* * *

Following the hat, which was now leading him to the Mad Hatter because of the potion, Neal found him stucked under a car, which was turned upside down.

The poor guy was propably stucked in his car because of the attack pf the wraith.

Neal wondred why noone had missed him, while he was helping the man to get out.

After that they sat down in front of Granny's and Neal showed him the hat.

"Can you get them back?", he asked after explaining his situation to the MadHatter.

"No."

"Can you get it to work?"

He shook his had and left.

Neal didn't move. Things wouldn't change if he was following him.

He just had to figure out something else.

* * *

In the meantime, David was sitting in his wifes appartement, searching for an idea.

In that moment, it knocked.

He opened the door to see Ruby.

"Where had you been?"

David turned around to take a look at the clock.

The town meeting had already been.

He had forgot it, because he had spent the whole time figuring out a way to get his family back.

"What happened?"

"They are leaving."

David sighed. He had to find an idea now.

"Let's go.", he said and they left to stop the people from leaving.

"There is something else.", Ruby told him.

"What?", he sighed. He already had enough proplems.

"Someone came here two days ago. Someone from outside."

"Make sure he doesn't find out what is going on. I'm going to figure something out in the meantime."

* * *

As fast as he could David drove to the town line and then parked his car in front of the others, so the people couldn't leave anymore.

While he and Ruby were getting out of the car, Archie shouted: "Get away! We habe a right to go."

"Listen to me! Listen to me!", David shouted, trying to get the attention of Storybrookes citizens.

They got out of there cars, too, and looked at him.

This could work.

"If you cross that line, you're going to be lost! Everyone, who loves you, will loose you! But there is something worse: You loose yourself!", he saw that he had the peoples full attention. "Look, I get wanting to leave here and I know it's easier to leave the bad memories behind, but even bad memories a part of us. David, Storybrooke David was, is weak, confused and I wouldn't give up Charming just to be him. You know what? I wouldn't even make the other trade ever. Because that David reminds me of who I want to be! My weaknesses and my strenghts, I am both, just like you. You are both, the town is both! We are both! Stay here and every choice is ober to you! Live in the woods, if you want! Hell, live in a shoe, if you want! We will get everything to work! I will protect you! Noone will able to hurt us, not as long as I'm alive! Not as long as we all come together! As we did before! As we shall do it again!", and those words got the people to turn around and go back to their homes in Storybrooke.

Ruby grinned at him and they got back in the car to go home, too.

* * *

When David arrived at his daughters home, his mobile rang.

It was Ruby, who told him that the visiter had left the inn.

There were problems coming up for David, he didn't know how to handle, but first he would spent some time with his grandchildren and son-in-law this evening.

* * *

In The Enchanted Forest, Emma, Amelia and their mother had to follow two women handcuffed.

Emma had no idea why they were doing this, but there were enough other problems to think of, so she was just thinking of a way tp escape those two instead.

"What is this place?", shouted her sister next to her.

"Our home.", answered the black haired woman.

They arrived at a small village.

"It's like they are refugees.", Emma determined.

"We're survivors.", the black haired woman corrected her.

In tjat moment her mother turned around and knocked the brown haired woman, who was dressed like princess down.

"Run!", she shouted and the three women ran, until Snow was knocked down.

"Mary Margaret!", Emma shouted and turned around, just like Amelia did, while shouting: "Mum!"

She was unconscious.

"What did you do?", Emma shouted.

"Take them to the pit.", the black haired woman commanded and the two sisters were pulled in something that looked like a cell, but didn't have a roof.

Seeing their mother being pulled in it, too, they shouted at the same time: "Be careful!"

Emma shooked her mother. "Can you hear me?"

"Do you need help?", a voice suddenly asked.

"Who are you?", Emma asked.

"A friend.", a woman walked into the light, so the sisters could see her. "My name is Cora."

Amelia immediatly knew that Cora was far away from being a friend.


End file.
